Last night there was a fire in the meter cupboard of a porch house on the Zuiddijk in Zaandam. The residents were unable to leave their home due to the smoke being released during the fire. The fire brigade took the people down the balcony with a ladder.
A total of four homes were evacuated. The meter cupboard was located next to the front door, so that the residents could not use this exit. Once outside, the residents are said to have been checked by the ambulance service because of the smoke they inhaled, but none of them had to be taken to hospital.
The safety region reports that the fire brigade quickly extinguished the fire and then took the residents off the balcony with a ladder. After a check-up, people were allowed to return to their homes.