All major wildfires extinguished after days of firefighting, weekend of thunderstorms
After days of firefighting and a weekend of thunderstorms, all the wildfires that raged in the Netherlands since last week have been extinguished. At 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, the fire brigade reported that the fire in the nature reserve near Weert and Budel, the last to be an issue, was out, ANP reported. The large fire on the Veluwe near ‘t Harde was extinguished on Saturday.
The fire department said that road closures had been lifted, but locals and visitors to the area may still occasionally see smoke or small flames. “The site manager is monitoring this and will call in the fire department for support where necessary.”
Wildfires had been raging in multiple locations in the Netherlands since Wednesday, including at military training grounds near ‘t Harde, the Oirschotse Heide, and Weert. The fires spread quickly due to drought combined with strong winds, and the Netherlands had to ask for foreign assistance to combat the blazes for the first time. Germany and France sent units to help. The Belgian fire brigade also helped fight the fires near Weert and Budel.
On Saturday evening, Minister David Van Weel of Justice and Security announced that the deployment of foreign firefighting services was no longer needed to combat the wildfires. “The major wildfires are under control. International assistance is being concluded today,” Van Weel wrote on social media. He thanked the firefighters from Belgium, Germany, and France for their assistance.
