Overview
- In the Achterhoek, regional regulators said they granted 28 environmental permits for Easter bonfires this season, with five applications denied or withdrawn, including Eibergen where the bonfire gives way to a Music & Fire event.
- Permit reviews now check what is burned, how far piles sit from homes and woods, expected smoke impact, and how ash is removed, with an eight‑week target for decisions and an early February filing date to keep timelines on track.
- Large events often require two approvals, with an environmental permit to protect air and surroundings and a separate municipal events permit for crowd safety and public order.
- Organizers describe rising paperwork and costs, citing new nitrogen calculations, stricter site demands, and heavier responsibility for volunteers, which they say make finding compliant locations harder each year.
- Local outcomes vary by region, with 22 bonfires planned in Groningen after many were called off last year due to wildfire risk, while some long‑running fires in Drenthe ended or moved, including Nieuw‑Roden’s tradition after 40 years; small private pruning burns remain exempt.