A forest fire near the northern Dutch coastal town of Schoorl led to the evacuation of 200 homes, a number of restaurants and a nursing home on Friday evening. A total of 550 people were evacuated. However, the fire service was able to bring the flames under control and the town is no longer under threat.

The fire began on heathland on Friday afternoon and spread to the woods on the dunes between the town and the coast. Police say the flames were fanned by strong winds and that this also led to a great deal of smoke being blown through the streets. Large areas of the heath were cleared of vegetation to stop the flames spreading further.

The 200 firefighters were helped by an army helicopter which carried water from the North Sea to extinguish the flames.
 

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