A dune fire that spread quickly along the Oosterduinpad on Groenedijk in Ouddorp was brought under control by firefighters on Friday morning, 31 July 2026.
The alert came in shortly before 11 a. m.
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, prompting a large response because the terrain limited access for standard vehicles.
Upon arrival, crews found flare-ups at three separate locations in the dunes. The cause and the full extent of the affected area were not immediately known.
Special Equipment Deployed
The Veiligheidsregio Rotterdam Rijnmond said special dune vehicles were used to drive over sand and rough ground.
A drone team with thermal cameras monitored the blaze from the air and tracked hotspots.
To reach hard-to-access burning points, firefighters used water bags to bring water to locations where vehicles could not get close.
During the operations, the Middelduinpad was closed, and visitors were asked to keep away and follow instructions from emergency crews.
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Water and logistics support were scaled up. According to nieuwsopbeeld.
nl, at least 35 vehicles from Veiligheidsregio and GHOR were called in.
A large water transport unit and a logistics unit were also deployed, along with a police helicopter to provide an aerial view of the fire sites.
Just before midday, the fire chief signaled that the blaze was under control, as reported by flakkeenieuws. nl.
Crews continued mopping up to prevent rekindling. High temperatures caused crews to rotate earlier than usual for safety.
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Background context notes a prior dune fire near Ouddorp on 15 July, and a major dune fire in 2022 that lasted several days and included a firefighting helicopter.
