Wildfire breaks out at artillery training range in Netherlands

A natural wildfire has broken out at an artillery training range in the Dutch province of Gelderland, with several fire crews deployed to the scene to contain the blaze.

A thick column of smoke has been rising over the area, visible from a considerable distance, Caliber.Az reports, citing Dutch media.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The Netherlands Ministry of Defence did not comment on the incident.

Amid ongoing drought conditions and a lack of rainfall, several provinces in the country — including Gelderland — had previously issued warnings of an elevated risk of wildfires.

The ‘t Harde artillery range is a military training facility and remains the only location in the Netherlands where live artillery and mortar fire is permitted.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov