Vredestein fire damage limited

A fire at Vredestein’s raw materials warehouse at Enschede on Friday 22nd August was quickly brought under control by local fire brigades and the company fire brigade and personnel. As a result both the Vredestein production shop and the warehouse were saved and deliveries will not be affected.

There was initially thought to be no risk to public health as a result of the fire. However, tests have confirmed that the Twente Canal was heavily polluted after the fire. The Department of Waterways tested the canal for pollution after the water used by fire fighters to douse the blaze had flowed into the canal from the Vredestein industrial estate. Despite preventative measures, the polluted water had infiltrated a large area of the canal. The waterways department warned the public not to pump water from the canal, swim in it or catch fish from its waters. However, authorities later announced that soot, which fell across the city was not a health hazard and did not give cause for concern.

The Department of Waterways has ordered the temporarily closure of the canal, blocking shipping traffic indefinitely. It is hoped that the Twente Canal will be clean of pollution my late September.