Video: Four homes demolished to extinguish fire in Gelderland town
A large fire raged in a block of homes in the Gelderland town of Didam overnight. The entire block of six homes was on fire. The fire brigade had to demolish four homes with a crane to reach all the flames. It is unclear whether the other two homes can be saved. No one got hurt, the Veiligheidsregio Noord- en Oost Gelderland (VNOG) reported.
The fire started in the homes on Begoniastraat at around midnight and spread very quickly. The fire brigade responded with large equipment, including four fire engines and aerial platforms. At 3:00 a.m., the Veilighedsregio, the security office that manages the region’s emergency services, among other things, reported that the fire was under control.
The blaze left four homes completely destroyed and a fifth badly damaged, the Veiligheidsregio said. The sixth home suffered mainly smoke and water damage, but it is unclear whether it can remain standing, given the state of the homes around it.
Firefighters evacuated the 24 residents of the block. Residents of six other nearby homes on Tulpenstraat were also evacuated due to the smoke development. Because of the nice weather, the emergency services assumed that many people were sleeping with open windows, so they sent out an NL-Alert urging locals to close their windows and doors due to the smoke.
“The municipality is investigating, in consultation with the fire brigade, when residents of Tulpenstraat can return to their homes. A solution will be sought for the residents of the burnt-down homes on Begoniastraat,” the Veiligheidsregio said.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. The police are investigating.
