Wildfires kill two in Greece, torch Belgian nature reserve; Europe faces 39% increase

Deadly wildfires swept Greece and Belgium this weekend as a new study warns European blazes could surge 39% even under optimistic climate projections.

Two people died on the Greek island of Salamis as wildfires swept across parts of Europe this weekend, while Belgium's largest wildfire in a century burned through peatland, pine forests, and hiking trails near Liège. The Belgian blaze grew to roughly half the size of Manhattan, prompting a multinational firefighting response that included local farmers alongside emergency services working to encircle the fire. In the UK, emergency alerts were sent directly to residents' phones warning of wildfire danger — a move that sparked a polarised public reaction. Many people complained online about the loud, intrusive tone of the alert, calling it an overreach, while others used the moment to call for stronger action on decarbonisation and climate policy. A study published alongside these events projects that wildfires in Europe will increase by 39% compared to current levels even under the most optimistic climate scenario — meaning significant cuts to emissions alone will not prevent a worsening trend. The research does offer a partial counterweight: improved fire management practices could reduce that projected increase by more than 70%. The incidents span the continent at a moment when fire seasons are extending and intensifying. Belgium's fire, described as the worst in roughly a hundred years, is particularly striking given the country's typically wet climate and the involvement of peatland — a landscape that burns slowly and is difficult to extinguish.

Why it matters

Europe is confronting a structural shift in wildfire risk that affects densely populated areas not historically associated with major fires, including Belgium and the UK. The study's finding that better fire management — not just emissions cuts — can meaningfully reduce future blazes has direct implications for how governments allocate resources.

What's next

Firefighters in Belgium were working to fully encircle the blaze near Liège, with containment efforts ongoing as of the latest reporting.

Key facts

• Two people — described as a couple — were killed by wildfires on the Greek island of Salamis
• Belgium's wildfire near Liège is the largest in approximately a century, burning peatland and pine forest
• The Belgian blaze grew to roughly half the size of Manhattan over the weekend
• A new study projects European wildfires will increase 39% even in the best-case climate scenario
• Improved fire management could mitigate more than 70% of that projected increase, according to the same study
• UK residents received emergency wildfire alerts on their phones, triggering a public debate about the alert system's intrusiveness

Bias & framing notes

All four sources are from The Guardian, which limits independent corroboration and introduces a consistent editorial framing that emphasises climate urgency. The study findings and the public alert reaction story are presented in ways that foreground climate inaction as a theme. The factual reporting on deaths, fire size, and location appears consistent across sources, but the absence of other outlets means fire agency statements and government responses are underrepresented.

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