Wildfires are continuing to burn across parts of Europe as firefighters battle a major blaze in Belgium and fresh fires break out in Greece, while cooler weather and rain offer some relief after weeks of extreme heat. In Belgium, one of the country’s largest wildfires on record remained out of control on Monday in the eastern High Fens, close to the German border.

The fire, in Liège province, has burned an estimated 30 sq km of forest, leaving blackened trees and smouldering ground.

Belgium’s King Philippe cut short his summer holiday to visit emergency services fighting the blaze, which spread into a pine forest on Sunday.

About 500 firefighters were tackling the fire, supported by aircraft from Norway, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Police drones and helicopters dropping large bags of water were also being used. Overnight rain and a cold front helped ease conditions, although firefighters said the centre of the blaze remained largely unaffected.

Nicolas Yernaux, a spokesperson for the Wallonia regional public services, said parts of the fire were inaccessible to ground crews. “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,” he said.

Precautionary evacuation orders remained in place for hundreds of residents.

Veterinarian Hugues Guyvot, who has been involved in animal rescue efforts, said large animals had been able to escape, while smaller creatures such as frogs and mice may have burrowed underground. “Maybe it will take decades to recover from this fire,” he said.

Greece

In Greece, investigators were examining the aftermath of a wildfire on the island of Salamina, west of Athens, which killed two people, injured nine and destroyed several homes on Sunday.

A separate fire broke out on Monday in Spata, east of Athens and near the capital’s main international airport. Dozens of firefighters, supported by two water-dropping aircraft and two helicopters, brought the fire under control within 30 minutes, according to the fire department.

An 80-year-old man was also arrested in the northern town of Kavala on suspicion of deliberately setting fire to dried vegetation.

Greek authorities said there had been 302 fire-related arrests since the beginning of the year, including 31 for deliberate arson and 271 involving fires allegedly started through negligence.

France and Croatia

In south-western France, a wildfire in the Landes region was brought under control after four days of firefighting. About half of the residents evacuated from the area were allowed to return home. More than 600 people had been evacuated last week after the fire burned about 17 sq km during a period of extreme heat.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a $13.9m aid package for Gironde and Landes, the two regions hardest hit by wildfires.

The money will help rebuild homes and support affected businesses, including in Le Porge, where 183 homes were destroyed by a large fire last month.

In Croatia, four people are suspected of deliberately starting as many as 10 fires around the coastal town of Zadar.

Police said the suspects were arrested on Saturday after residents provided information. They are accused of starting fires on 14 and 15 August with the aim of “endanger[ing] lives and valuable property and inflict[ing] damage on a large number of residents in the Zadar county”.

No motive has been given.

The fires come as Europe experiences one of its hottest and driest summers on record, with a recent study linking the extreme conditions to climate change.