Firefighters battle expanding wildfires across Germany, Belgium, and France

Firefighters across Western Europe continue combating persistent wildfires driven by severe heat, achieving mixed progress across affected regions.

In Baden-Württemberg, a forest fire near Schramberg expanded along steep terrain, preventing ground crews from approaching active hotspots directly. Along the German-Belgian border, conditions in the High Fens nature reserve remain tense, though officials confirmed the flames stopped advancing into Germany. Two military helicopters joined containment efforts as thick smoke forced 30 residents to evacuate in Monschau.

Emergency crews brought the 300-hectare blaze in North Rhine-Westphalia's Hürtgenwald under control. In southwestern France, a pine forest fire flared up overnight after scorching 1,580 hectares and forcing 650 evacuations, though no homes were destroyed.

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