Crown fire rages through Limburg nature reserve, 300 campers evacuated as helicopters battle blaze

Fire outbreak and rapid spread

The fire started around 11:45 on Monday morning in the De Rosmolen nature reserve near Oostrum, North Limburg, a roughly 100-hectare area that also includes the Boschhuizerbergen. Fueled by dry conditions and a steady wind, it quickly developed into a crown fire, spreading from treetop to treetop. By late afternoon, 21 hectares had been destroyed, about one-fifth of the reserve. A spokesperson for the Veiligheidsregio Limburg-Noord described the challenge:

It can go from treetop to treetop, that makes extinguishing difficult.

The fire expanded northward, and although it appeared to stop growing later in the evening, it remained uncontained. The safety region assembled a crisis team in the early evening to coordinate the response. The cause of the fire remained unknown.

Emergency response

Around 250 to 300 firefighters were deployed, with units arriving from Utrecht, Zuid-Limburg, Overijssel, and other regions. They were supported by three Chinook transport helicopters from the Dutch defence forces, each carrying a Bambi bucket capable of dropping thousands of litres of water per pass. This is the fourth time this year that a defence helicopter has been called to a wildfire, a spokesperson for the Royal Netherlands Air Force said. However, the helicopters were forced to stop at nightfall. The safety region stated:

The pilots can no longer concentrate properly in the dark.

Ground crews were expected to work through the night, with the firefighting operation projected to last at least another six to eight hours as of early evening. Firebreaks were being constructed along the Maasheseweg road in an attempt to halt the fire's advance.

Evacuations and public warnings

An NL-Alert was issued around 17:00 for residents of Holthees and Smakt, advising them to close windows and doors and switch off mechanical ventilation due to heavy smoke. Camping De Oude Barrier, located near the fire, was evacuated; approximately 300 guests were taken to a nearby hotel. A local animal boarding facility also had to urgently contact pet owners to collect their animals. The A73 motorway exit Venray-Noord was closed for northbound traffic, and the Maasheseweg was shut down. The Pieterpad long-distance hiking trail, which runs through the reserve, was also affected.

Transport disruptions

The fire burned on both sides of the railway line that runs through the reserve, with the centre of the blaze on the eastern side of the tracks. This forced the suspension of all train services on the Maaslijn between Venray and Boxmeer. Operator Arriva expected the disruption to last until at least 09:00 on Tuesday morning. Replacement buses were deployed, though planned engineering works between Boxmeer and Nijmegen already meant buses were running on that section. The NS had earlier halted trains between Nijmegen and Venray.

National fire risk and other incidents

The Netherlands is currently at phase 2, the highest wildfire risk alert level, which requires extra vigilance from landowners, nature managers, and emergency services and can lead to bans on activities such as barbecuing in nature areas. Separate fires were also reported on Monday: a dune fire near Overveen in North Holland led to a precautionary evacuation of part of a campsite, and a fire in a dune area near Goedereede in South Holland burned an area of 150 by 50 metres. A large wildfire was also reported near Rosmalen in North Brabant.