Defense chief: no pause in training after multiple military-area wildfires

Despite three major wildfires in two days on military training areas, General Onno Eichelsheim says there is no need to pause Defense exercises as long as conditions remain dry. He called the situation “very unfortunate for bystanders, campsites and nature itself,” he said during a press briefing in Hilversum, “but we must continue training in order to be ready for crises and to train our personnel.”

“We rely on training throughout the entire year to keep our units properly exercised and ready,” the Chief of Defense said. “That may require doing things differently, and that is my responsibility.”

Since Thursday, extra precautions have been introduced. During exercises, no pyrotechnic devices, ammunition that generates a lot of heat, or explosives are being used, Eichelsheim said. “We are also no longer carrying out cooking activities, so we have scaled down everything that produces heat.” When asked whether these measures should not have been taken earlier, given the current dry conditions, Eichelsheim replied: “That was still possible yesterday.”

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is continuing its investigation into the causes of the large wildfires at military training sites in ’t Harde, Weert, and Oirschot. Eichelsheim said he does not want to draw conclusions in advance, but acknowledged that it is possible the origin lies within Defense activities.

The general also said he wants to reassess whether existing protocols, last reviewed last year, are still adequate under increasingly dry conditions in the Netherlands. He plans to discuss this with nature managers, aiming to “find a balanced solution.”

He partly rejected suggestions to avoid training on heathland during dry periods and instead use alternatives such as urban areas. “We need to train properly to keep civilians safe and ensure they can still go on holiday,” he said. “But that must not lead to large smoke plumes or the evacuation of campsites.”