Military smoke grenade sparked fire on Oirschot heath

A fire broke out Thursday afternoon on the Oirschotse heath during a military exercise, authorities said. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee confirmed the fire was caused by a smoke grenade used in the training.

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee confirmed that the fire was caused by a smoke grenade used during the training. “It is a point of attention,” a spokesperson for the Marechaussee told Omroep Brabant. The use of the grenade had been authorized.

The spokesperson said that although smoke grenades themselves are not inherently dangerous, the dry conditions this summer increase the risk of vegetation catching fire. “Especially after a period of drought, dry brush can ignite after an explosion. Users need to be more alert to the aftermath,” he explained.

Personnel are instructed to ensure grenades burn out completely before leaving the area. “During training, we emphasize watching closely whether the grenade fully extinguishes and not just leaving,” the spokesperson added.

This is not the first incident at the Oirschot military training site. In August, a previous exercise ignited a 100-by-100-meter area of heathland. A larger fire in Ede in April was also linked to a training grenade.