Tree killing beetle may cause more wildfires, Long Island officials warn

Tree killing beetle may cause more wildfires, Long Island officials warn

Long Island's vulnerable pine barrens, which were recently ravaged by wildfires last March, are facing another threat that could spell out yet another incendiary disaster, officials warn.

According to experts, it is not a question of whether there will be fatalities, but when.

The fire in the Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park raged wildly on Saturday and was still not extinguished on Sunday. The damage to nature is enormous, says forest ranger Frans Kapteijns. "That is inevitable in spring." It is difficult to say exactly how big the damage is, says Frans. "But you know that there is always a lot of life in a small piece of nature reserve. The fire is raging in an area of 600 meters by 700 meters. So you can ima…

Firefighter warning: Netherlands unprepared for major wildfires

The Gelderland-Midden fire department has issued a stark warning that the Netherlands is unprepared for large, uncontrollable wildfires, which could even result in fatalities, NOS and Omroep Gelderland report. This caution follows a recent wildfire in Ede earlier this month, ignited during a military training exercise.

The Netherlands is not ready for major forest fires, which can also result in fatalities. This is what the fire brigade in Gelderland-Midden warns after the heathland fire near Ede in early April. Gelderland authorities and emergency services are working on making Gelderland's nature more fire-safe, but there is still a long way to go.