Explosiegevaar door zeer grote brand in tankstation en autobedrijf in Norg

NORG - A very large fire broke out at the Dorenbos garage on Westeind in Norg on Sunday afternoon around 2:00 PM. The smoke development is enormous; large black clouds of smoke are visible over Norg and the surrounding area. The fire department deployed a large amount of equipment and received support from brigades from Drenthe, Groningen, and Friesland. Due to the scale of the incident, the incident was scaled up to GRIP 1, allowing the fire department, police, ambulance, and other involved services to coordinate their efforts jointly. At 2:26 PM, an NL-Alert was sent out urging people to stay out of the smoke, keep windows and doors closed, and switch off ventilation systems. According to the Drenthe Safety Region, the fire started after a container inside the building caught fire. How this happened is not yet known. The fire subsequently spread rapidly and burst out of the building. Emergency services are doing everything possible to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. Special attention is being paid to a gas station and the windmill in the immediate vicinity. For the time being, it appears that the fire may be confined to the affected business premises. Due to the risk of explosion, everyone had to leave the area, and the police drove around to make announcements. Homes within a 300-meter radius of the garage have also been evacuated. During the fire, loud bangs can be heard regularly. These are caused by gas cylinders and storage of car tires located inside the building. The fire department is explicitly taking this into account during the firefighting operations. The major fire at the Dorenbos garage made a deep impression on the village on Sunday. Mayor Klaas Smid was present at the scene and spoke of a sad event for both the owner and the residents of Norg, especially because the company is located in a prominent spot in the village center and is also situated close to a gas station. However, he did express his relief that the fire department had brought the situation under control. The owner of the garage also stated that the fire has hit him and his family hard. There is still much uncertainty regarding the cause. There may be a technical defect, but this is still being investigated. The fire department has since brought the fire under control. The heavily damaged building is being allowed to burn out in a controlled manner, while emergency services continue to monitor the situation closely. A crane is on site to dismantle everything in order to facilitate effective firefighting.