Table 2.
Fatal landscape fires in The Netherlands
| Date | Location | Fatalities | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2021 | Sint Jansklooster, Overijssel | 1 | Controlled reed slash fire | https://www.destentor.nl/steenwijkerland/slachtoffer-rietbrand-sint-jansklooster-is-80-jarige-vrouw-uit-steenwijkerland~a26236f5/ |
| 27 Jul 1989 | Beekhuizerzand, Gelderland | 2 (1*) | A Cessna wildfire spotter plane crashed while supporting/accompanying a fire engine on the ground | https://www.digibron.nl/viewer/collectie/Digibron/offset/0/zoekwoord/sportvliegtuigje+verongelukt+brand/id/tag:RD.nl,19890728:newsml_7afee280054ed98be03f42296a812766, https://www.brandweernederland.nl/onderwerpen/brandweermonument/ |
| 31 May 1977 | Best, Noord-Brabant | 1* | A volunteer firefighter died from injuries sustained after being hit by shrapnel from an exploding high-explosive World War II grenade while suppressing a small fire in a forest behind a garbage dump | https://www.brandweernederland.nl/onderwerpen/brandweermonument/ |
| 15 Apr 1946 | Bergen op Zoom, Noord-Brabant | 1* | A volunteer firefighter died from injuries sustained during a vehicle crash while en route to a forest fire in Woensdrecht; three colleagues were injured | https://www.brandweernederland.nl/onderwerpen/brandweermonument/ |
| 11 Oct 1939 | Hilversum, Noord-Holland | 1 | The heathland fire engine from fire station Hilversum crashed en route to an exercise; a fire watch (brandwacht) died from injuries sustained, nine others were injured | NBDC https://www.korpora.nl/ |
| Summer 1935 | Drenthe | 1 | A person’s clothes caught fire while trying to stop a heathland fire, when fleeing he was caught by the flames when he tripped | Staf and Schenkenberg van Mierop (1936) |
| 21 Apr 1922 | Tilburg, Noord-Brabant | 1 | A farmer collapsed and died while helping suppress a large forest fire | NBDC https://www.korpora.nl/ |
| 21 May 1917 | Valthermond, Drenthe | 18** | Eighteen people lost their life during a large peat fire; other impacts include 120 houses burned, 4 weeks long, large number of hectares turf | Ottens et al. (2017) |
| 1880 | Weerdingermond, Drenthe | 1 | Large peat fire in which a 4-yr old boy was killed, 90 houses burned, hundreds of people were left homeless. Escaped buckwheat burn | https://www.deverhalenvangroningen.nl/alle-verhalen/een-verwoestende-veenbrand-bij-zevenhuizen-1833 |
| 11 June 1833 | Zevenhuizen, Groningen | 4 | A large peat fire caused 4 fatalities, 66 houses burned, 5 ships, 1 windmill, hundreds of people homeless, 1.1 million metric tonnes of turf, high unemployment. Reported cause: lightning, ignitions fanned by a southwestern storm | https://www.deverhalenvangroningen.nl/alle-verhalen/een-verwoestende-veenbrand-bij-zevenhuizen-1833 |
*Fire fighters that lost their life in the line of duty
**Official numbers report 17 fatalities, we here additionally count the baby who was stillborn just hours before her severely injured mother died two days after trying to save her two sons from the fire