Firefighters battle expanding wildfires across Germany and France

Firefighters across Western Europe continue to combat wildfires driven by persistent heat. In Baden-Württemberg, a fire near Schramberg expanded along steep terrain, preventing ground crews from approaching hotspots directly. Along the German-Belgian border, military helicopters assisted firefighting efforts in the High Fens nature reserve, where dense smoke previously prompted 30 precautionary evacuations in Monschau.

In contrast, emergency teams made progress in North Rhine-Westphalia, containing a 300-hectare blaze in the Hürtgenwald region and advancing into its central core, while conditions in the Westerwald also eased. In southwestern France, a pine forest fire in the Landes department expanded to 1,580 hectares following an overnight flare-up. Officials reported that 650 people were evacuated, though no residential structures were destroyed.

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