THE HAGUE, Aug 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Firefighters are rushing to contain a forest blaze in the southeast of the Netherlands that spread overnight to engulf 100 hectares (247 acres) on Tuesday, authorities said.
The fire started around Monday noon in a nature reserve near the village of Oostrum in the Limburg province, close to the border with Germany. The blaze spread to 100 hectares as of early Tuesday and was still not under control, provincial authorities said on their website.
The winds kept changing direction and sped up the fire's spread, a regional safety spokesperson told the ANP news agency. Around 300 emergency workers took part in containing the blaze overnight, and firefighting helicopters were set to resume operations on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
A nearby campsite was evacuated, and trains passing through the area were suspended. "Because of the drought, fire can spread quickly in nature reserves," the provincial authorities said, without specifying the cause of the fire.
The blaze is the latest in a string of wildfires to hit western Europe, following deadly heatwaves that have dried up riverbeds and vegetation. Scientists have linked such extreme weather events to human-made climate change.
Source: bssnews.net
