Fire crews tame Rotterdam waste plant blaze

THE HAGUE - A fire broke out on the night of Aug 7 at a recycling plant near the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, spewing thick smoke across the area before being brought under control in an all-night operation, the authorities said.

The blaze prompted a large-scale emergency response involving fire units, a fireboat from the port and a drone used to identify hot spots, according to the public safety information service for the Rotterdam-Rijnmond region.

Traffic was cut on several key roads and via the Maastunnel linking the Dutch city’s northern and southern districts, although the restrictions were being gradually lifted after the fire was wrestled under control early on Aug 8.

The flames engulfed an estimated 50 to 100 tonnes of household and commercial waste, sending a foul-smelling smoke plume across the area.

Residents were advised to stay indoors, close their windows and doors and switch off ventilation systems.

Those warnings were lifted by the morning of Aug 8, but firefighters remained at the site extinguishing residual hot spots and separating out debris. AFP