Bocholt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A major vehicle fire in Bocholt resulted in two people suffering from smoke inhalation, while the fire brigade faced increased activity during the New Year period. Fire protection services across South Yorkshire battled numerous purposeful rubbish blazes and vehicle blazes, which occurred within Sheffield alongside Doncaster, Rotherham, and Barnsley.
The Weert warehouse fire in the Netherlands near Bocholt, Belgium, started on February 5, 2025, triggering both national security responses following extensive damage. The warehouse filled with oil-based products burned while the fire produced substantial smoke that moved towards Bocholt.
Public authorities instructed everyone to remain inside their homes while keeping windows and doors shut and all ventilation systems turned off for health safety. Authority investigators dismissed the possibility of fireworks as the cause after a thorough inspection despite ongoing fire investigation. The fire department subdued the fire situation, but the warehouse lost its entire structure to the blaze.
“It was a big fire that developed very quickly because of the oil-containing products in the warehouse,”
Says Guido Vrenken of the fire brigade in Weert.
“We are currently still working on a few small smouldering fires in the warehouse. Now, we are going to try to extinguish them completely with foam, but it is not clear how long that will take.”
“First, there was a report that there were also fireworks in that shed, but fortunately, that turned out not to be the case. They were searched for, but the fire brigade found nothing. It was about oil-containing products,”
Assures Vrenken.
There is also the fear that asbestos was released during the fire.
“The owner informed us that there was asbestos under the roof. The warehouse collapsed, so now we have to investigate whether that is actually the case. If asbestos contamination is found, a specialist company will, of course, clean it up.”
The local authorities took steps to shut down traffic on Kempenweg in Weert and Lozerstraat in Bocholt until emergency services conducted their operations and maintained public safety.
What factors contribute to warehouse fires and emergency responses in the region?
A warehouse’s stored materials, which commonly contain flammable substances, create substantial fire risks. A fatal fire in Dolzig, Germany, destroyed both aircraft spare parts warehouses along with toxic substances, resulting in massive financial losses. Contaminated lithium-ion batteries which supply warehouse equipment pose fire hazards that result in thermal runaway events which create explosions.
Safety protection measures, including VDMA 24994 specifications for lithium-ion battery safes, help reduce these types of risks. The VDMA 24994 enables insurers alongside companies to understand their positions according to Kools’ explanation. Public emergency fire teams in South Yorkshire, UK, need to respond quickly to vehicle and bin fires which occur in the area.
