The Royal Military Police will deploy extra patrols in the forest area between Middelbeers and the Oirschotse Heide. In the area, which belongs to the Defense Department, there have been fires every day for the past six days. A spokesperson for the Military Police calls it ‘exceptional’ that there were multiple fires in the same place in such a short time.
The investigation into Tuesday’s fire revealed no criminal offenses. “That does not mean that we can rule out intent, but so far it has not been found.”
In August and September last year, a fire broke out on the heath due to a smoke grenade during a military exercise. According to the military police, this can be ruled out for now. “There were no units practicing.”
Visibility increased
To get a better idea of what is going on, visibility in the area is increased. “These fires have our attention. That is why we are deploying multiple units.”
The fire brigade is investigating whether there are similarities between the various fires. A spokesperson for the Brabant-Zuidoost Safety Region did not rule out arson on Tuesday. “It’s starting to stand out. The fires are far off the beaten track, you really have to walk into them if you want to do anything.”
