Army drill sparks massive wildfire in Dutch nature reserve; 330 firefighters respond

A massive wildfire that was burning out of control in the east of the Netherlands was caused by an Army drill, the Dutch military and the municipality of Ede said on Thursday. Some 330 firefighters were struggling to get the wildfire under control, and an Air Force Chinook helicopter was brought in to drop water on the fire.

"An Army unit was on an exercise and used pyrotechnics. This was done on the sand, but spread to the verge, which then caught fire," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense told ANP. The Marechausee military branch is investigating the incident, including how the fire spread so rapidly and over such a wide area.

The wildfire broke out in a forest east of Ede near the Veluwe nature reserve on Thursday afternoon, and it remained out of control six hours later. "It is now clear that the fire was started by a training unit from the Royal Netherlands Army," the military said in a statement. An NL-Alert was sent around 4:45 p.m. to residents warning of the fire near Driesprong in Ede, and the heavy smoke development.

"Due to the changing wind direction, the fire is difficult for the emergency services to get under control," the emergency services office in Gelderland-Midden said. That was also creating issues with smoke development. Firefighters began to evacuate several homes in the vicinity of the fire. "Avoid the area, stay out of the smoke, and give emergency services the space to do their work."

The military's Chinook helicopter was fitted with a Bambi Bucket, a reinforced device capable of collecting 7,600 liters of water and dumping it at a specified location. "Furthermore, there are four fire engines and an Army command vehicle ready," the military said.

The fire response was elevated to a Grip 3 regional emergency. The protocol calls for an incident commander to coordinate all responding emergency services personnel, the establishment of a command post at the scene, and meetings by regional service providers. All those involved in the response will then work with the municipality and the mayor.

"The smoke can cause sore throats, watery eyes, headaches and coughing," the emergency services office said. "The smoke can also cause shortness of breath and wheezing when breathing." Those who still have symptoms after getting out of the smoke should contact their family physician.

The Ede-Noord exit was closed on the A30 motorway in both directions. Road closures were in place on the N304 and the N224.