Video: NL-Alert messages sent for major fire in vacant Zoetermeer building; Two rescued

Two NL-Alert messages were sent on Monday afternoon in connection with a fire in a vacant commercial building on Boerhaavelaan in Zoetermeer. The second message was sent at about 6:12 p.m., two hours after the first alert was distributed. The messages were sent due to the large amount of smoke generated by the fire, those in the area of southwestern Zoetermeer, Pijnacker, and Delft were advised to stay clear of the smoke and to keep windows and doors closed.

Two people were rescued from the roof of the building. They were taken to a hospital for an evaluation.

The fire has spread "considerably" at the back of the building, causing the development of smoke to increase, the fire service reported. Because it is too dangerous for firefighters to get close to the building, the fire brigade has attempted to extinguish the fire from a greater distance.

The cause of the fire was not yet known, the fire service said on Monday evening. The blaze started in the building at around 2:40 p.m. Boerhaavelaan and the parallel Afrikaweg were closed in both directions because of the smoke and to give emergency services space to work.

Due to the fire, a tremendous amount of smoke blew over the A12 near Zoetermeer, in the direction of Pijnacker. "Fortunately, traffic was not very affected by this," said Rijkswaterstaat.

The fire brigade also received calls from worried residents from Delft and Pijnacker, who wondered whether sports activities can still continue outside. "There is no reason to stop this," firefighters said. Fire service teams carried out measurements and said that unsafe levels of potentially dangerous substances not found in the air. "However, there may be odor nuisance," said the fire brigade.