1/3 The heath area near Schijf was destroyed by fire (photo: Erik Peeters).
The lost nature after the great heath fire in Schijf will quickly recover. According to former forester Hans Hofland, the damage to the heathland is manageable, because many heath seeds underground survived the fire. Last Friday, 1.6 hectares of forest were lost in the fire, about the size of three football fields.
On Monday, many people come to see the damage in the nature reserve at the Achtmaalsebaan with their own eyes. “Last weekend the fire brigade was still working on extinguishing the fire. Now I’m actually seeing it for the first time. It looks like a moonscape, what a mess. I hope the heather grows back soon”, says a man on his mountain bike.
“Nature is resilient here and can take quite a beating.”
The nature reserve where the fire raged is owned by the Ministry of Defense. Hans Hofland was for many years a forester of the nature reserve Oude Buisse Heide, a little further away. Now he gives advice on nature restoration. “Nature is resilient here and can take quite a beating,” he explains.
According to Hofland, because of the extra risks, it is wise that the fire in Schijf is extinguished as soon as possible. At the same time, he says that heath fires also have a stimulating effect: “You can see it as a control measure, just like mowing or grazing sheep. It benefits soil biodiversity.”
“As is fertile. The Romans already knew that, who used it as fertilizer. You will see that when some rain falls, plants quickly sprout again because the growing season is still in full swing. The young shoots are rich in protein, which benefits animals such as roe deer, foxes and rabbits.”
In time, lizards, insects and butterflies will also return. The species that, according to Hans Hofland, have suffered the most from the fire.
“the affected heathland in Schijf is still bone dry.”
Despite the drops on the trees from a rain shower on Monday morning, the affected heathland in Schijf is still bone dry. “Look here under the scorched plants. It all looks like powder”, a group of hikers from Roosendaal concludes.
The fire brigade therefore warns to remain alert to fire in nature. The cause of the heath fire last Friday is not yet known.
How does nature recover after a fire? We explain it to you in this video.
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