A large fire has caused a lot of damage this afternoon in a farm in Erichem, not far from Tiel.
Due to a fairly strong easterly wind, the fire spread to four thatched houses nearby. Two firefighters and two bystanders have inhaled smoke. They were treated on-site by paramedics and did not require hospitalization. The fire brigade has called in the help of forces in the area.
Residents of a number of homes in the area also help fight the fire. “They keep their homes wet,” says fire spokesman Huib van de Vrie at Omroep Gelderland . “Many homes in the area have thatched roofs. That’s why a special reed control team from the fire brigade is present to remove the burning reed from roofs.”
The fire most likely started in a pile of fruit crates. A large barn with organic pumpkins and three other farm buildings have been destroyed.
The fire brigade collects water from ponds at a campsite a few hundred meters away to extinguish the fire. The police have further hermetically sealed the area.
The Gelderland-South Safety Region advises to stay out of the smoke but has not sent an NL-Alert.
