1/5 Clothing throughout the garden (photo: Noël van Hooft)
A major fire destroyed an apartment at De Kabouters in Den Bosch in the night from Thursday to Friday. The apartment above sustained significant damage. A neighbor woke up around a quarter to three from a loud blow. “I thought it was an accident, but when I looked outside I saw that it was very wrong. Everything was orange because of the fire.”
The fire probably started in the garden of the lower apartment and there is little left of that house. Burnt clothes and furniture lie in the garden. The technical team is investigating.
“When I saw the flames I grabbed the most important things and the dog.”
Neighbors said police said they believe it was arson. The resident was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. His wife and children are on vacation, according to neighbours.
“It was really intense. I woke up to an orange glow,” says a woman who lives two doors down the road. “I immediately woke up my husband and the children and we fled outside.” She is still terrified. “It looked really bad.” And the immediate neighbor is still shocked. “When I saw the flames, I packed the most important things and the dog and stood on the street with my friend.”
“Because of that second fire, the damage inside has become much greater.”
According to local residents, the upstairs neighbor was able to get away just in time. “He saw flames in front of his window and then called 112.” There were more concerns about a deaf neighbor. They tried to wake him up by knocking on windows and doors. “He eventually woke up from flashes of light and because he also smelled something. That was a big relief,” his neighbor sighs.
The residents have not slept. After an hour and a half they were allowed back in, but an hour later they were outside again. A fire had started again in the two apartments because remains were smoldering. “In the end, the fire brigade came back twice. Because of that second fire, the damage inside has become much greater,” say local residents.
Meanwhile, the entire neighborhood is without water because the fire brigade broke a water pipe. Brabant Water is busy repairing the pipe while the water sprays upwards.
