European wildfires ravage Belgium and Greece

In mid-August 2026, Europe experienced a severe wildfire outbreak driven by extreme heat and drought. Belgium faced its largest wildfire on record in the Belgium — High Fens nature reserve near the German border, burning over 3,000 hectares and forcing hundreds of evacuations. The fire, which started on Friday, was battled by firefighters from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, with EU support including helicopters and water-bombing aircraft. In Greece, a wildfire on the island of Greece — Salamina killed two people and injured nine, while other fires broke out near Athens. France, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, and the UK also reported significant fires. The International — European Forest Fire Information System reported that over 576,000 hectares had burned across Europe this year, more than double the area of Luxembourg. Scientists attribute the increased fire risk to human-caused climate change. The Belgian fire was more than double the size of the 2011 blaze, and peat fires could smolder for months. Authorities in Belgium opened an investigation into the cause, while Greece made numerous arson arrests.