OAN Staff Lillian Mann
4:36 PM – Sunday, August 16, 2026
Massive wildfires continue to burn across Europe, causing the deaths of two people on a Greek island, while firefighters in eastern Belgium work to contain a severe blaze in a local nature reserve.
Extremely hot and dry conditions have persisted in Europe since the start of the summer season, fueling raging infernos and prompting thousands to evacuate.
On the Greek island of Salamina, home to about 37,000 residents, two fires broke out almost simultaneously on Sunday.
The first fire ignited at 2:40 p.m. local time in Peristeria, a southern region of Salamina, followed just 20 minutes later by the second fire in Selinia, on the eastern coastline of the island, according to Greek Fire Brigadier General Vasileios Vathrakogiannis.
On Sunday, an elderly couple died outside their home in Peristeria due to the flames, according to the Greek Coast Guard.
More than 500 people were ordered to evacuate Salamina, while about 500 tourists were evacuated by boat from beaches near the resort towns of Siviri and Fourka as strong winds and high wildfire danger fueled rapidly spreading fires on the island.
“These conditions enabled the fire to quickly reach dangerous proportions and spread rapidly within seven minutes toward nearby residential areas,” said Vathrakogiannis.
Salamina Deputy Mayor Thodoris Zannis stressed that crews are working to prevent the two fires from crossing the island’s central mountain and merging into a single inferno.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiades said on X that a total of 10 injuries or signs of smoke inhalation were recorded.
“A total of 10 cases were recorded, aged 15–89 years, mainly with burns and symptoms from smoke inhalation. Five patients were transported or are in the process of being transported, including one burn victim with second-degree burns over 25% of body surface area and one patient being transported to Thriasio Hospital,” Georgiades’ social media post read.
In Belgium on Saturday, approximately 600 residents of Waimes and Bütgenbach were told to evacuate when winds shifted and smoke began spreading heavily through the area, after the wildfire initially broke out on Friday.
Flames have ravaged Belgium’s largest nature reserve, the High Fens — spanning roughly 7,400 acres — as firefighters struggle to contain the blaze.
Hervé Jamar, the governor of Liège, noted that more than 250 firefighters and emergency staff are involved in the massive operation to contain the wildfires.
According to The Guardian, farmers have been assisting in the battle, using their tractors to pull in water from Lake Robertville in an effort to extinguish the raging flames.
The blaze, described as the worst in Belgium’s recent history, expanded to more than twice its size over 24-hours, according to BBC News.
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