Two people were killed in fires that broke out on a Greek island and a soldier died fighting a fire in Spain as Belgium tackled a record blaze on its border with Germany on Sunday.
Europe is facing wildfires spurred by high temperatures and tinder-dry conditions due to a historically hot summer that has already claimed the lives of thousands of people.
Two bodies were found Sunday during firefighting operations in Salamina, according to Greek broadcaster ERT. The victims, which initial information indicated are a married couple, were discovered near where a fire started in the forested Peristeria area.
The fire spread rapidly amid strong winds, burning through pine trees and damaging homes. Another fire was reported in Kaki Vigla, where an elderly man was rescued and nine people suffering burns were taken to the Salamina Health Center.
At least 90 people were evacuated by sea. A total of 146 firefighters, supported by volunteers, four water-dropping aircraft and six helicopters were deployed. The latest deaths brought Greece’s wildfire death toll in this summer to eight.
Read More: Overwhelmed by heatwave deaths, French undertakers struggle for space
In Spain, a soldier died Sunday while helping fight a major wildfire in Aragon, as the local authorities deployed the largest firefighting arsenal in the region’s history.
The flames spread across 16,600 hectares and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate.
Around 1,000 firefighters, supported by up to 40 aircraft, were involved in the operation. France was also sending 100 firefighters to help contain the flames.
In Andalusia, more than 400 evacuees were allowed to return home after a wildfire raging for 10 days and affecting more than 25,000 hectares was declared under control on Sunday.
Portugal was also battling several fires near its border with Spain. Five firefighters suffered minor injuries when their vehicle caught fire near the village of Dine. Firefighters were reported to be battling several other fires near the Spanish border, including at Boticas and Chavez.
Water-dropping aircraft and farmers’ tractors helped firefighters battling Belgium’s largest modern-day wildfire at an inaccessible area near Germany, where a border town ordered a partial evacuation because of the growing threat.
Military helicopters backed by tractors on the ground hauled water to help firefighters tame the wildfire, burning in a hard-to-access nature reserve.
The blaze, whose origins are still unknown, has grown from 80 hectares burnt on Friday to nearly 3,000 hectares on Sunday.
In Croatia, police said they had arrested four people suspected of starting some of the wildfires that have swept parts of the Adriatic coast in recent days.
Meanwhile, a fire in France’s Landes department that burned 1,700 hectares was stabilised after three days of ground and air operations. Cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped authorities gain control. The local prefect said a first group of the 650 people who had evacuated due to the fire would be allowed to return to their homes on Sunday evening.
- Two people, believed to be a married couple, were found dead during firefighting operations on Salamina island in Greece, where wildfires rapidly spread due to strong winds.
- A soldier died in Spain's Aragon region while combating a wildfire that consumed 16,600 hectares and forced over 1,000 evacuations.
- Belgium is battling its largest modern wildfire near the German border, with the fire expanding from 80 to nearly 3,000 hectares and prompting partial evacuations.
- Four people were arrested in Croatia on suspicion of starting some of the recent wildfires along the Adriatic coast.
- France's Landes department fire, which burned 1,700 hectares, was brought under control after three days, allowing evacuees to begin returning home.
