Netherlands Brings in Air Force to Fight Wildfires

The Dutch air force sent in helicopters to help firefighters battle wildfires in two eastern nature reserves in the Netherlands.

A piece of forest near Elmpt burns in the night to Tuesday, April 21, 2020. According to the district of Viersen, about 500 firefighters from Germany and the Netherlands are involved in fighting the large fire in the German-Dutch border area.

Local media report efforts to contain the fires in the Deurnese Peel nature reserve in Noord-Brabant province and De Meinweg in Limburg province continued throughout the night Monday and into the morning Tuesday.

On Monday, Dutch air force helicopters equipped with water-bombing equipment joined in the firefighting operation in Deurnese Peel, in eastern Netherlands.

Firefighters there are battling the flames on foot because fire trucks are unable to reach the area.

A nursing home in the southeastern town of Liessel, where several residents are infected with the coronavirus, was evacuated on Monday as a precaution due to smoke drifting from a nearby wildfire.

Local media said the air force would continue to fly support missions over the reserve throughout Tuesday.

It is not known how the wildfires started but weather conditions were dry, with strong winds.

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