Two thatched-roof house fires under control in Drenthe and Brabant

Fires in two houses with thatched roofs, one on Oud Aalden in Aalden, Drenthe, and one on the Fazantlaan in Lieshout, North Brabant, are under control.

In Aalden, the Veiligheidsregio Drenthe said at 23.30 that the fire was under control, though a fair amount of smoke was still visible.

The fire brigade was alerted to the Aalden fire at around 21.15 and quickly upgraded it to a large fire. The residents left the house in time and were looked after outside. Fire stations from Rolde, Emmen, Schoonoord and Hoogeveen, among others, turned out.

In Lieshout, a spokesperson for Brandweer Brabant Zuidoost said the fire began as a chimney fire that spread to the thatch, and was confined to the reed around the chimney flue.

The first report of the Lieshout fire came in at around ten to four in the afternoon. A specialised thatch team from Gelderland helped. The team inspected the roof and took a closer look at the stove pipe. Nobody was injured. The house stands in open country among woodland, between Stiphout, Lieshout and Gerwen.

The fire brigade's first response was successful straight away, and that is why the fire is now under control.Spokesperson, Brandweer Brabant Zuidoost

"The fire brigade's initial response went very well from the start, and that's why the fire is now under control," the spokesperson said. He added that the residents were very lucky, because a thatched roof is very hard to extinguish.