Man dies in Geldrop house fire as major Amsterdam blaze triggers smoke warning
A 37-year-old man died after a house fire in Geldrop on Saturday morning, while a separate major fire at a recycling company in Amsterdam’s Westelijk Havengebied prompted authorities to warn nearby residents to keep windows and doors closed because of heavy smoke.
The man was found after the fire broke out around 6:30 a.m. at a home on Van Erpstraat in Geldrop, Noord-Brabant, Omroep Brabant reports. Emergency responders attempted to resuscitate him, but he died at the scene, police said. Police are investigating the cause of the fire and said they are currently “keeping all scenarios open.”
In Amsterdam, a large fire broke out overnight from Friday to Saturday at a recycling company on Kwadrantweg in the Westelijk Havengebied, where large amounts of scrap metal caught fire. Firefighters upgraded the incident to a “very large fire” as thick smoke spread through the area.
Residents affected by the smoke were advised to keep windows and doors shut and turn off mechanical ventilation systems.
Loud explosions were heard during the fire. A spokesperson for the regional safety authority said it was not yet clear what caused the blasts.
Because of the scale of the fire, firefighters deployed additional equipment, including crash tenders with large water tanks. Drones were also used to give crews a better overview of the blaze.
By about 8 a.m., the fire appeared to be under control, though firefighters expected cleanup and extinguishing work to continue throughout the day.
Additionally, at a metal processing company on Witte Koeweg in Swalmen, a fire broke out early Saturday morning. The fire was brought under control using three fire engines and several supporting units, the regional safety authority reported. Around 7:30 a.m. local time, crews declared the fire under control.
