Due to the eviction, the fire has been scaled up to ‘very large fire’. This means that the fire brigade is on site with many units and extinguishing equipment. In order to get enough fire fighting water, four submersible pumps from the fire brigade have been alerted. These pumps deliver 7,000 liters of water per minute, according to the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Safety Region (VRR). A defense fire fighting helicopter also arrived on site to assist.
The scaling up is necessary because of the drought and the risk of flame spreading. “The problem is that you need enough water to extinguish and that is sometimes difficult to obtain in the area,” explains the spokesperson for the VRR.
According to a spokesperson for the VRR, the fire was discovered near the provincial road N57. The road initially remained open, but is now closed between Port Zélande and Ouddorp. In the direction of Rotterdam there is a traffic jam of about fifteen minutes.
The fire brigade is keeping an eye on which direction the smoke is blowing and whether the beach needs to be cleared. The drought may be a possible cause of the fire, according to the spokesperson for the VRR. “Certainly with this weather we are extra alert, with the drought and bright sun. Then a piece of glass from waste can start a fire.”