The deployment of firefighters from Belgium, Germany and France, who helped their Dutch colleagues this week during various wildfires, is no longer necessary. “The major wildfires are under control,” writes Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel (VVD), who thanks the additional forces for their efforts.
The Dutch fire brigade asked the European Union last Thursday for an extra fire-fighting helicopter and firefighters, because several nature reserves caught fire at the same time and employees were working long hours. Germany sent 21 fire trucks filled with 67 emergency workers. Belgian colleagues already helped on Thursday at the Limburg Weerterheide.
The largest wildfire broke out on Wednesday at the Veluwe defense site ‘t Harde, 500 hectares in size, during a military exercise. At the busiest moment, 44 units tried to extinguish the fire. The fire brigade only had the fire in the Gelderland area under control this Saturday. Fire also broke out in Weert, Kessel, Noordwijk and on the military training ground in Oirschot.
In the entire country, only sixteen units were available on Thursday evening for any new fires, said Olav Strotmann, head of fire services at the North and East Gelderland Safety Region, on the TV program Eva (NPO 1). Those involved could not remember that the Netherlands had previously requested help from neighboring countries due to a wildfire.
In the report published five months ago Limits reached The Justice and Security Inspectorate has already warned that the Dutch fire brigade is insufficiently prepared for a situation involving large, simultaneous and long-lasting fires. Hein van der Loo, chairman of the Safety Council in which all safety regions sit, asked in vain for an investment of 200 million euros in the fire brigade.
The cause of the wildfires during military training is still being investigated. “While the Royal Military Police investigates the cause of the wildfires, Defense has temporarily halted the use of open fire, (training) ammunition and pyrotechnics on training grounds,” wrote Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgöz Thursday on X. “We are also re-examining the protocols surrounding training during dry periods.”
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Wildfire in ‘t Harde under control: fire brigade gives ‘signal fire master’
