Wildfires: Belgium battles blaze, France's Lecornu jeered

Fires are burning in several European countries on Monday as the continent experiences a spate of wildfires after many weeks of hot and dry weather .

Some 576,000 hectares (2,225 square miles) of land have been burnt out so far this year, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System — an area twice the size of Luxembourg.

Europe suffered its worst fire season on record last year, with more than a million hectares of land burned, but that sad record could be beaten in 2026, as the fire season still has some time to run.

Some 500 firefighters and troops continue to battle a massive blaze in the High Fens park on the border to Germany, with rain beginning to help their efforts on Monday

The fire, which broke out on Friday, has destroyed some 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres). It is the country's largest in modern history.

Germany's Defense Ministry said on Monday that it would be sending two military water-bombing helicopters to the region.

On Sunday evening, some 30 people living in the German town of Monschau were ordered to evacuate as the fire threatened to cross the border, but the danger has since receded.

Weather agency IRM said between 5 and 9 millimeters (0.2 to 0.35 inches) of rain was forecast on Monday in the High Fens.