Third wildfire in 24 hours after 1 triggered NL-Alert; High risk in most of Netherlands

A large wildfire is raging in Helden, Limburg, on Wednesday morning. The fire brigade responded with multiple vehicles, and a drone team is working to map the boundaries and “hotspots” of the blaze from the air, the local security region reported. It is the third wildfire in 24 hours, after fires in the dunes of The Hague and in a forest in Malden on Tuesday. Those fires are under control.

The Limburg emergency services received the first report of the Helden fire around 6:00 a.m. It seems to have started near Lanterdweg, Veiligheidsregio Limburg-Noord reported. The fire is spreading quickly due to drought in the area, and the emergency services are at the scene in large numbers, including four firetrucks.

“This concerns a ground fire,” said the security region, which covers the local emergency services. “The fire is spreading across the ground and not through the trees. The affected area covers approximately 7,000 square meters.”

The fire in Helden is the third wildfire in the Netherlands in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday evening, a large fire broke out in the dunes near The Hague. The fire caused a lot of smoke, triggering an NL-Alert warning locals to stay away from the area.

Veiligheidsregio Haaglanden spoke of a “very large fire” and deployed over 50 emergency service vehicles. The fire brigade managed to get the blaze under control by around 10:00 p.m. and spent the night monitoring remaining embers and ensuring that the fire did not flare up again.

There was also a forest fire between Malden and Nijmegen on Tuesday evening. Veiligheidsregio Gelderland-Zuid warned locals to keep their windows and doors closed and to switch off their ventilation due to smoke. Firefighters quickly managed to extinguish that fire and are investigating the cause.

Due to rising temperatures and drought, there is a high risk of wildfires throughout almost the entire country. Brandweer Nederland has declared three-quarters of the country a high-risk area, with only Drenthe, Groningen, and Friesland still excluded.

The security regions asked people to be extra vigilant in nature reserves and other outside areas: avoid smoking, don’t barbecue, and don’t make campfires.