Emergency crews battle widespread wildfires across Germany and France

Emergency services across Western Europe are continuing operations against several active wildfires amid persistent dry conditions and high temperatures.

In Germany, a forest fire near Schramberg in Baden-Württemberg spread across steep slopes, where rugged topography prevented ground crews from directly accessing active hotspots. Meanwhile, German military helicopters assisted Belgian emergency services at the High Fens nature reserve along the border, where officials noted the fire was no longer advancing into Germany despite earlier precautionary evacuations in Monschau. In North Rhine-Westphalia, responders made progress containing a 300-hectare blaze in the Hürtgenwald.

In southwestern France, authorities reported that a wildfire in the Landes department charred approximately 1,580 hectares of pine forest after flaring up overnight. Roughly 650 people were evacuated, though local officials confirmed that the flames caused no damage to residential properties.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau