Firefighters battle massive wildfires in Belgium and Greece as 2 die on an island near Athens

Firefighters are confronting significant wildfires across Europe, with blazes scorching a nature reserve in eastern Belgium and a Greek island near Athens, resulting in two fatalities. The extreme heat and dry conditions are exacerbating the fires, creating challenging conditions for emergency personnel.

In Belgium, a wildfire has consumed approximately 30 square kilometers (12 square miles) of the High Fens, a large nature reserve in the country's east. This blaze is considered one of the most severe in Belgium's recent history. Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 600 residents from the nearby municipalities of Waimes and Bütgenbach on Saturday due to shifting winds and spreading smoke. Tourists were also advised to leave, and a local gymnasium was opened to accommodate evacuees. Over 250 emergency personnel, including firefighters from Belgium and Germany, along with police, military, and civil protection staff, have been deployed. Helicopters from Belgium and the Netherlands are assisting in firefighting efforts.

On the Greek island of Salamina, west of Athens, two people died in a wildfire on Sunday. Their bodies were found in the village of Peristeria, where strong winds rapidly spread the flames toward residential areas. A second fire was reported in the Selini area. Approximately 500 beachgoers were evacuated by firefighting and coast guard vessels. The island had been placed at high wildfire risk due to near gale-force winds, which contributed to the fire's rapid escalation. "These conditions enabled the fire to quickly reach dangerous proportions and spread rapidly within seven minutes toward nearby residential areas," stated Fire Brigadier General Vasileios Vathrakogiannis.

The Belgian wildfire has surpassed a 2011 fire in the same area, which burned nearly 14 square kilometers, making it the country's largest wildfire on record, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System. Officials noted that the current conditions are far worse due to extremely dry soil, making the fire difficult to contain and reach in some areas.

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These conditions enabled the fire to quickly reach dangerous proportions and spread rapidly within seven minutes toward nearby residential areas.