Vlagtwedde stable fire kills five cows

A major fire broke out in a stable on Scheferweg in Vlagtwedde on Wednesday afternoon. The blaze, which involved significant amounts of straw and hay, was described by emergency services as a fully developed fire.

Firefighters from Vlagtwedde, Stadskanaal, and Bellingwolde, along with a drone team and large-scale water transport, responded to the scene. While efforts were made to evacuate the livestock, five cows unfortunately perished in the fire. Surviving cattle are being relocated to other facilities.

To prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings, emergency services focused on wetting down surrounding structures and allowed the stable to burn out in a controlled manner. Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed due to thick black smoke. The fire was brought under control by approximately 6:00 PM, though crews remained on-site to monitor the smoldering straw.