Explosions and smoke as fire engulfs poultry slaughterhouse in Blokker; NL-Alert issued
A large fire broke out early Sunday morning at a poultry slaughterhouse on Gildenweg in the Noord-Holland town of Blokker, part of the municipality of Hoorn, according to the Noordhollands Dagblad. The fire triggered multiple explosions, produced heavy smoke, and led to the destruction of eight trucks, according to local authorities.
The fire started around 5 a.m., prompting emergency services to issue an NL-Alert at approximately 5:15 a.m. due to the intense smoke affecting the surrounding area. Residents of nearby homes were told to stay away but were allowed to return around 6:30 a.m., after firefighters brought the blaze under control.
The regional safety authority confirmed that the explosions were caused by bursting truck tires. There were no reports of hazardous chemicals being released, although officials warned that combustion debris may still be found in the area.
“Do not clear burned materials without proper protection,” the safety authority cautioned in a public advisory.
It was the second major poultry-related fire in the Netherlands over the weekend. Early Saturday, approximately 50,000 chickens were killed when a fire swept through a poultry farm in the Limburg village of Heibloem.
The blaze broke out around 5 a.m. in a manure storage area and spread quickly through a transport system to a barn housing laying hens. Firefighters managed to contain the flames before they reached nearby stables.
