Because their apartment in Bergen op Zoom has become uninhabitable due to a fire at the neighbor’s, a mother and her children make the best of their temporary accommodation in a hotel. She is very happy that she has a place where she can relax with her children. “We’re making the best of it.”
Their house is uninhabitable for the time being and the family has lost all the belongings that were there, yet the mother remains positive. “If the fire had broken out at night, we might not have lived anymore. Fortunately, that did not happen,” she concludes.
The woman’s children provide positive energy. “You should have seen them when they saw there is a bath in the hotel room. They were overjoyed.”
For the time being, the family is sleeping in a hotel, but in the meantime the mother is busy looking for a new home. “Because I don’t know exactly how long it will take before we get a new apartment, I am also looking at a chalet somewhere nearby where I could go temporarily. Then we will have our own place.”
She feels well supported by the Stadlander housing association. “I get called twice a day from the housing association.”
Spread sandwiches
Life goes on as usual, the family notices. For example, in the morning at breakfast in the hotel they make sandwiches to take to school.
While the children are at school, mother will arrange everything. “I have already been to the apartment three times to assess the damage and secure important items.” Everything is covered in ash and the rooms of both her children are almost completely destroyed.
However, there are also items that survived the fire, such as the bicycle chargers that were safely stored in the cupboard by the front door. “I brought them with me this week to use, but they smell so bad that I think we should get rid of them.”
Big fire
The fire broke out around half past nine on Monday morning in an apartment on the fourth floor of the so-called Heiningen flats. Apartment residents were evacuated and saw the resident of the apartment where the fire broke out standing on his balcony screaming.
A total of 28 apartments were damaged in the fire. Residents of nine apartments cannot sleep at home for the time being and are being accommodated in a hotel in Bergen op Zoom.
