Scheemda fire spreads to four homes as emergency services scale to GRIP 1

A gas‑fueled fire broke out in a corner townhouse on Kerkstraat in Scheemda, Groningen, early on May 19, 2026. The blaze quickly spread via roof insulation to adjacent dwellings, engulfing a total of four homes.

The incident prompted the safety region to upgrade the response to GRIP 1 – a large‑scale fire – mobilising multiple fire crews, a high‑reach aerial unit, a large water‑transport vehicle and a Mobile Command Unit. A drone team was also deployed to assess temperature and hot‑spots from the air. Enexis shut off gas lines, leaving 26 houses without supply while firefighters worked to isolate the leak.

Residents of the affected block were evacuated and housed at a temporary shelter on Molenstraat. No injuries or animal casualties were reported. An NL‑Alert warning about smoke was issued for the surrounding area and later withdrawn. Firefighters continue to extinguish the remaining hotspots and restore gas service to unaffected homes.