Wildfires Prompt Kempen Airport Evacuation in Netherlands Near Military Training Sites
Evacuation and Wildfire Events in the Netherlands
AMSTERDAM, April 30 (Reuters) - Dutch authorities evacuated an airport in the south of the Netherlands on Thursday after a large wildfire broke out near a military training area, officials said. It is the latest in a series of blazes amid exceptionally dry conditions in the country.
Details of the Wildfire Incidents
Location and Impact
* The fire erupted near a military training site in the north of the province of Limburg.
* Kempen Airport is among the Netherlands' busiest general aviation airports.
Other Affected Areas
* About 40 kilometres to the east, close to the German-Dutch border, another fire erupted on Thursday, also near a military training area.
* The fire brigade is trying to contain both fires, local safety authorities said.
* On Wednesday, a separate blaze was reported near a military training site in the north of the country.
Investigation and Response
Authorities' Actions
* A spokesperson for the national gendarmerie force Marchesaussee said it was investigating the cause of the fires.
Possible Links to Military Activities
* He added it was too early to draw a link between the three fires and military activities taking place at the sites when the blazes started.
Environmental Conditions
* The Netherlands has seen hardly any rainfall for weeks, making this April one of the driest on record and heightening the risk of wildfires.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Toby Chopra)
