Germany is sending 21 fire trucks with 67 emergency responders on board to the Netherlands to help extinguish the wildfires. This is reported by the ANP news agency. France will also assist, it was announced on Thursday, although it is not yet clear how many people they will send to the Netherlands. Belgian firefighters already helped on Thursday at the Weerterheide in Limburg.
It is the first time that the Netherlands has asked for European help with wildfires. Due to the many fires that have been raging since Wednesday, especially on Defense training grounds, the Dutch fire brigade is overloaded. Most fires are under control, but much remains to be extinguished. The fire in ‘t Harde on the Veluwe is not yet under control, new sources of fire are still emerging, reports the North and East Gelderland safety region. Nu.nl.
Kempen Airport, near Budel in Brabant, had to be evacuated on Thursday due to a fire on a military training area near Weert. The airport warns Defense has been anticipating fire “for months”, a spokesperson told Omroep Brabant. Even when the fire broke out at ‘t Harde, the airport sounded the alarm. “Things could easily go wrong here,” the Ministry of Defense emailed. During the fire in Weert, an area of approximately 500,000 square meters was on fire.
In the meantime, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) predicts some precipitation again for next weekend. For Saturday afternoon and evening is available throughout the country code yellow issued. It can hail, blow and thunder.
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Fire brigade asks European allies for help extinguishing wildfires: ‘We are getting fairly exhausted’
