Dutch firefighters batted several “firenadoes” sweeping through the seaside resort of Scheveningen after an annual New Year’s Eve bonfire competition got out of hand.
Made of wooden pallets, the bonfire is lit as part of a yearly tradition pitting Scheveningen, situated near The Hague, against the neighboring district of Duindorp, according to Euronews.
However, this year’s fire was hijacked by strong winds, turning flames into miniature tornadoes across the sand dunes and sent copies ash and embers raining down on the area. Local reports state rooftops of nearby structures caught on fire due to the downpour. Firefighters put out the blaze at 5:00 am local time, reports the NL Times.
Eyewitness and news sites shared stunning footage of the “firenadoes” as they moved through the beach.
Vuurtornados bij het #vreugdevuur in #Scheveningen. #denhaag pic.twitter.com/i3mi9R9hpe
— Stefan Dijkstra (@stefandijkstra9) January 1, 2019
De brandweer roept iedereen opom weg te gaan of binnen te schuilen. Bewoners proberen zelf ook te blussen #keizerstraat #scheveningen #rampgebied pic.twitter.com/WdsFwwBXy2
— De Scheveninger (@DeScheveninger) January 1, 2019
A New Year's Eve bonfire on the Netherlands' #Scheveningen beach spreads out of control, raining ash on homes and forcing residents to evacuate #Vuurregen #NewYearsEve2018 pic.twitter.com/YjurdFrwkT
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) January 1, 2019
Update:
A lot of small wildfires and car fires caused by the sparks of fire of a traditional New Years Eve fire at the beach in Scheveningen, The Netherlands.#scheveningen #breaking #fire #NewYearsEve #news @TomHall pic.twitter.com/qqrzgWP09a
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) January 1, 2019
Local officials say no one was hurt.
Pauline Krikke, Mayor of The Hague, told reporters that police will look into what caused the issue and will evaluate whether the bonfire competition should take place next year.
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