Up to 4 hectares of forest burned in De Soester Duinen wildfire

A large fire broke out in nature reserve De Soester Duinen on Thursday afternoon. It took the fire department hours to get the wildfire under control. Up to four hectares of forest was burned, the local safety office said, NU.nl reports.

The fire department divided the area into two parts and fought the fire from both sides. Extra fire extinguishers were called in to help. The cause of the fire is not yet known. 

People were asked to stay outside the nature reserve while the fire was being fought.

The risk of wildfire is increased due to drought still lingering in parts of the Netherlands. For this reason, many municipalities in the east of the country banned the traditional Easter bonfires this year.