Massive fire in Tell Aal now under control
Firefighters have put out a large fire at several business sites in Ter Aar, South Holland, since Friday night. The smoke that previously triggered the NL alert has also decreased. Firefighting was carried out using firefighting vehicles commonly used at airports, so-called crash tenders. So far, no one has been injured.
A spokesman previously said firefighters were made difficult by the rush of people who came to watch the blaze on Friday night. As a result, initial firefighting efforts were unsuccessful.
Mayor Robert Jan van Dyne of the city of Newcorp, which includes Tell Aal, also witnessed the fire on Friday night. He said he was terrified when he saw the fire. “From a safe distance, I witnessed the ambulance crew doing their best to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading. My condolences to the affected business owners,” he said on Twitter.
The fire broke out around 9:30 pm in a timber yard in the industrial area of Hertog van Bayerenstrasse. The fire then spread to other facilities. Numerous explosions were heard during the fire. According to the Dutch Midden Safety Area, these came out of gas cylinders. Fire officials expect it will take several days to extinguish the blaze.
An ambulance spokesman said the fire was not extinguished by midnight. A spokeswoman told RTL News that “the fire could spread because the fire brigade can’t get too close due to the danger of an explosion.”
On Friday night, social media posted pictures of dark clouds far beyond Tell Aal, including Noordwijk, Zoetermeer, Gouda, Haarlem and Amsterdam. Photos of ash debris that fell on the beaches of Rheinsburg and Katwijk, some distance from Tell Aal, were also shared. Sharp glass shards from solar panels on the roof of the business also fell into the area.