Specialist units deployed as fire engulfs Almere data centre; Second NL-Alert issued

The fire at a data centre in Almere is expected to take several more hours to fully bring under control and for the building to be declared safe again, according to the facility’s owner, after consultation with the fire brigade. The fire brigade has significantly escalated its response as a precaution and is urging people to keep nearby roads clear and allow emergency services access.

Specialist teams from across the country have also been deployed. They are currently fighting the fire with fire engines, ladder trucks, and four crash tenders from Schiphol and Lelystad Airport. A firefighting robot from Amsterdam-Amstelland is currently on standby. Because of the size of the fire and the heavy smoke development, authorities have raised the situation to GRIP 2 level, triggering a coordinated regional emergency response for the wider area.

Several organisations, including Statistics Netherlands, Utrecht University, and Transdev, are currently facing communication disruptions and digital service problems as a result of relying on the centre. The Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK), the office network of the municipality of Amsterdam, Unica ICT Solutions, and healthcare billing provider Infomedics are also dealing with major outages and technical problems.

Data centre operator NorthC says the building cannot yet be accessed. Once it is cleared for entry, “a technical investigation will immediately follow to determine the impact of the fire and to take appropriate emergency measures.”

NorthC says the fire started at around 08:45 at the rear of the data centre on Rondebeltweg in Almere, in the area housing the facility’s technical systems. The company states that it is still too early to assess the extent of the damage.

An NL Alert had already been issued for residents in Flevoland, with a second NL-Alert also calling on people to avoid smoke from the fire, but expanded the affected area further south of Almere.

The bulletin was sent to mobile phones and devices in Almere-Stad, Haven and Hout, as well as people in Huizen, Blaricum, Laren, Eemnes, and Hilversum, and people enjoying the sun on the Gooimeer, a lake separating Flevoland from Noord-Holland.

Everyone inside the building was evacuated safely and without delay, and authorities have not reported any injuries at this stage.