Besides Germany, where a large fire is raging about 25 kilometers from the border near Vaals, other countries in Europe are also plagued by wildfires. The European continent is experiencing high temperatures and extreme drought. The conditions are expected to remain poor in the coming period.
Also in Belgium, not far from the German wildfire near the village of Gey, a large wildfire is burning in the High Fens. In the nature park south of the Limburg border, at least 850 hectares have been destroyed, confirms the Walloon government service SPW to broadcaster VRT.
French drought
Meanwhile, France is experiencing an extremely dry year. In the Landes department in the southwest of the country, a large wildfire has been raging since last night, spreading quickly due to the wind.
The fire near Luglon has already destroyed 1300 hectares of land. The fire is not yet under control but is decreasing. 550 people had to be evacuated. 500 firefighters have been deployed in the area to combat the blaze. Two firefighters were injured in the process.
On this map, based on data from NASA, you can see where wildfires are being detected:
The fire is said to be a resurgence of an earlier fire that burned in the area on July 25, French media write. That fire had destroyed nearly 40 hectares of land.
British powder keg
In the United Kingdom, yesterday was the hottest day of the year with a temperature of over 38 degrees in London. Especially England and Wales are experiencing longer periods of drought.
In Stourbridge, a suburb of Birmingham, nineteen houses were destroyed and eighteen other homes damaged in a large wildfire yesterday. About 300 people had to be evacuated. In total, six people were injured, including three firefighters, British authorities report. The fire is now under control.
According to British Prime Minister Burnham, 37 fires are currently burning in the UK. The country is currently a "powder keg," Burnham said after visiting Stourbridge.
Ban on disposable barbecues
Millions of Britons have received a warning on their mobile phones alerting them that the risk of wildfires is very high. The warning is comparable to an NL-Alert in the Netherlands. The British government has never before used this measure on such a large scale, the BBC writes.
British authorities have banned residents of England and Wales from lighting wood fires due to the high risk of fires, the BBC writes. The British government is also introducing a temporary national ban on the sale of disposable barbecues.
Spanish monastery evacuated
In the northern Spanish region of Aragón, a monastery has been evacuated due to an approaching wildfire in Huesca. Spanish authorities have transferred the bones of three kings who ruled between 1035 and 1104 to a museum about 80 kilometers south of the San Juan de la Peña monastery.
Other historical paintings, clothing, and liturgical objects have also been removed as a precaution.
The fire has been burning since Monday and is still not under control. More than 1000 residents from 18 places had to be evacuated. The fire has already laid more than 11,000 hectares of land to ashes, Spanish media write. A 28-year-old man was arrested Wednesday for arson.
Fires in the Balkans
In the Croatian region of Dalmatia, one person died and twelve others were injured in a large fire. The fire that has been burning near Omis since yesterday was under control this morning but flared up again in the afternoon. Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to combat the fire. About a thousand people had to leave the area.
Wildfires are also raging in other countries in the Balkans, including Bosnia, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria.