Wildfires persist across Germany and France as emergency crews struggle in steep terrain

Firefighters across Western Europe continue to combat blazes fueled by severe heat and dry conditions. In Germany's Schwarzwald region near Schramberg, steep terrain has hindered ground operations, causing the wildfire to expand further. Meanwhile, military helicopters remain deployed along the German-Belgian border to help control a fire in the High Fens nature reserve, where heavy smoke led to precautionary evacuations in Monschau.

Conversely, emergency services report progress in North Rhine-Westphalia, where a 300-hectare fire in Hürtgenwald has been contained. Conditions also stabilized in the Westerwald area. In southwestern France, a pine forest fire in the Landes department flared up overnight, swelling to 1,580 hectares and prompting the evacuation of 650 people, though authorities confirmed no homes were destroyed.

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