A huge heath fire in the Hoge Veluwe national park near Arnhem destroyed an area the size of 15 football fields on Friday, the Volkskrant reports.

The fire broke out in the morning and was brought under control by local fire fighters shortly after midday, although ensuring there are no patches of fire left will take some time, the fire service told the paper.

The fire was difficult to reach and in danger of spreading which necessitated the use of several fire fighting teams from the area, and a great deal of apparatus including a special water pump and a police helicopter.

Conditions in the Dutch national parks are so dry at the moment that the fire service has issued a code orange for the provinces of Zeeland, parts of Brabant, Gelderland and Overijssel.