This article is out of date. Read about the Easter bonfires in Aa en Hunze here
The safety region has raised the wildfire risk for Drenthe to the 'extra alert' phase. This means stricter rules apply to lighting open fires: among other things, a greater distance must be kept from nature areas and thatched houses. None of the locations in Aa en Hunze meets these stricter conditions.
No significant rainfall is expected in the coming weeks, so the drought will continue for now. That makes the risk of wildfires breaking out and spreading quickly especially high. The municipality therefore sees no option other than cancelling the bonfires. The organisers have been informed.
Mayor Anno Wietze Hiemstra calls the decision “a real shame” for everyone who had already worked on the preparations. “Unfortunately the weather has spoiled things. This is force majeure and very disappointing, but safety comes first, of course.”
