Mow the verges near nature reserves and clean up the leftover clippings to reduce the risk of fire. That emergency call makes the Netherlands Fire Brigade Friday afternoon to Rijkswaterstaat, the municipalities and provinces. Due to the ongoing drought in the country, wildfires can spread quickly through adjacent roads. According to the fire service, roadside fires have regularly started after a blowout, hot catalytic converter or car fire.
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By keeping the dry verges short, the flames can spread less easily over the nature reserve. The fire brigade states that the ground is so dry that “the vegetation of grasses, heather and coniferous wood, branch and top wood is an increased fire risk”. In addition, less water is available for extinguishing from streams, ditches and canals. It may therefore take longer before sufficient extinguishing moisture is available on site.
On Friday, a heath fire had started in the Noord-Brabantse Schijf. After a few hours, the fire brigade got it under control. Despite this, about 1.6 hectares (approximately equal to three football fields) of nature reserve have been lost, according to the Security Region. The fire brigade expects to be busy extinguishing the fire until well into the evening. As far as is known, no injuries were reported in the fire.