Fire rips through Delft shopping center; Cause under investigation

Dozens of residents near a large fire in Delft were allowed to return home Sunday evening, while firefighters in the area continued their efforts to completely extinguish a blaze that broke out in a shopping center. The fire started on Leeuwenstein, a street with many stores specializing in home furnishings. Many businesses were still unable to open on Monday morning.

An NL-Alert was sent out to people in the region just before 5:45 p.m. because of the amount of smoke caused by the fire. People were told to stay out of the smoke, shut windows and doors, and turn off ventilation systems. The all-clear was given at about 10:30 p.m. in a separate NL-Alert, though the fire department said it would be hours before the fire was completely extinguished.

One local resident told Omroep West he believes the fire started in JYSK in the late afternoon. “I was watching football, and suddenly I smelled something, and then I saw a batch of flames coming out of the JYSK. When I spoke to someone from the store, he said there had been a short circuit, and the place was on fire,” the resident said.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation Monday morning, and due to the extent of damage, the cause might remain undetermined. It was particularly difficult for firefighters to get to the center of the fire, which was in the middle of the building. The roof was partially ripped open to tackle the fire from above and prevent it from spreading further, the regional broadcaster said. A fire-extinguishing robot was deployed to get the situation under control.

People in the apartment complexes across the street from the fire were asked to evacuate the buildings as a precaution. A police officer told one resident, “We had to get out urgently and be downstairs alone in five minutes."

A reception center was set up for residents at city hall, according to the Haaglanden Security Office. “There was a lot of fear. But we are well taken care of here with pizzas, coke, and beer,” a resident told Omroep West.

Efforts to fight the fire were further complicated by the weather. When thunderstorms passed over the area, the fire department had to adapt. A spokesperson told newswire ANP it was sheer luck that made it possible for residents to return home Sunday night. At that point, civil servants were working on finding places for people to sleep for the night.