More than 150 firefighters from across the north of the country were called to Landscheid on Monday evening to tackle a fire that stretched across an area over 250m long. The blaze, which affected a large number of straw bales, was still burning on Tuesday morning. Firefighters from the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) kept the situation under control and allowed the fire to burn out safely.
The farmer who owns the affected field told RTL that his losses amount to between €40,000 and €50,000. In total, around 1,000 bales were destroyed – the equivalent of six weeks of work. The stock was expected to last until next year, making the loss particularly severe. According to the farmer, sourcing new reserves at this stage in the year will be extremely challenging.
When asked about the cause of the fire, the CGDIS stated that it is believed to have been triggered by a lightning strike – a theory also confirmed by the farmer. Eyewitnesses reportedly saw lightning strike the bales directly. Although there are normally power lines nearby that tend to absorb lightning strikes, in this case, the fire hit the field directly. "I have never seen anything like this before and cannot explain it", the farmer added.
