Massive fire engulfs pallet company in Dutch industrial park VIDEO

A massive fire has broken out at a pallet company in the Oostervaart business park in Lelystad, Netherlands, prompting a large-scale emergency response and an NL-Alert warning residents to stay away from thick plumes of black smoke.

The fire brigade was called to the scene at around 8:45 a.m. local time and quickly classified the incident as a “very large fire,” Omroep Flevoland reports.

Emergency services have cordoned off the area because of a potential explosion risk. No injuries have been reported.

Firefighting crews from the Utrecht, Gelderland and Gooi and Vechtstreek security regions have been deployed to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby buildings. A large-scale water transport operation is also underway, while a drone team is monitoring the fire from above.

Three or four companies are reportedly located in the building where the fire started. Initial reports indicated that the blaze had broken out at car company Socar, but authorities later determined that the fire originated at a pallet company behind the facility.

Tens of thousands of wooden pallets are reportedly stored at the site. The building may also contain a storage facility for gas cylinders, according to a reporter at the scene. Several loud explosions or bangs have already been heard.

Authorities are urging residents to avoid the smoke, which is spreading rapidly. Omroep Flevoland has also received reports of ash falling in parts of Lelystad and nearby Dronten.

By Vafa Guliyeva