A fire erupted in a residential area in The Hague this morning. While originally thought to be contained to one house, it has quickly spread to a whole building block, including a nearby mosque.
The fire started at a single house on Schildersweg neighbourhood near Station Hollands Spoor, however, it has spread to more than seven houses in Wouwermanstraat through roof construction.
The fire department sent out a NL-alarm to residents in the nearby neighbourhoods, urging them to keep doors and windows closed due to the heavy smoke.
Still raging
The fire is thought to have started in a house around 3 AM and was was still raging this morning. According to the latest reports by AD, the fire continues to burn. Firefighters are hosing the flames, but they continue to emerge from the houses.
One firefighter tells AD that “this is a fire that you only experience once every twenty years.”
Extensive damage
Meanwhile, dozens of residents have been evacuated. Most had to leave their houses in the middle of the night and will likely not be returning soon, as some houses reportedly are irreparably damaged.
A nearby mosque, Moskee El-Fath, has also been damaged by the fire. According to a mosque administrator, both the building and thousands of Korans have been burned.
To assess the full scope of the fire, the firefighters are using drones in order to see the fire from above and target the most affected areas of the buildings.
Mayor reacts
To show his support, the Mayor visited the area last night and spoke to some of the residents. In a tweet stating his first reaction, he calls such a large fire in the middle of a residential area “terrible.” He also commended the fire department for its large efforts.
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