Devastating Belgian wildfire moves toward Germany as blazes break out in Greece, France: Will take decades to recover

SOURBRODT, Belgium — One of Belgium’s biggest ever wildfires blazed out of control Monday even as cooler weather and rain in the morning eased conditions for hundreds of firefighters in remote and hilly countryside.In Greece, a fire briefly flared up near the main airport on the outskirts of Athens.Europe is sweltering through one of its hottest and driest summers on record, which a recent study said was fueled by climate change.Belgium’s King Philippe interrupted his summer vacation to visit emergency services fighting the wildfire in the eastern High Fens, about eight kilometers (five miles) from the German border, as it spread east after moving into a pine forest on Sunday.The fire in Liège province has burned an estimated 30 square kilometers (about 12 square miles), leaving blackened trees and smoldering ground.While the fire did not significantly grow, due in part to favorable winds, it remained out of control in areas inaccessible to ground crews, the Wallonia region said in an update.Some 500 firefighters were aided by aircraft sent from Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands and local police with drones after a cold front brought overnight rain.

Farmers were helping supply water to firefighting efforts, regional officials said.Helicopters emptied huge sacks of water over the flames as smoke billowed from forests.“We managed to maintain the fire where the firemen are situated but there’s still a place which is totally inaccessible, where the fire is still going on in the direction of Monschau in Germany,” said Nicolas Yernaux, spokesperson for the Wallonia regional public services.He said overnight rains helped contain the blaze and dampen the possibility that smoldering fires will flare up again, but he said they did not significantly impact the center of the fire.“Where it is burning, I am not sure it’s really helping,” he said.Precautionary evacuation orders remained in effect for hundreds of residents.Veterinarian Hugues Gu...