The car fire on Sunday night in the Oliestraat in Grave was deliberate. The police suspect arson. The fire not only destroyed the vehicle but also caused considerable damage to a monumental building several centuries old. Local residents are shocked but not surprised.
Peter Rood, owner of the property since 2007, received a phone call from the adjacent pizzeria last night. “I went there, but the fire was already extinguished by then,” says Rood.
According to him, all residents of the five surrounding apartments were alerted in time to smoke detectors. They were able to leave their premises unscathed, says Rood. They spent the night with relatives or acquaintances.
“When I heard it last night I thought, oh my gosh, not again.”
This isn’t the first time cars have been set on fire in Grave. Twelve cars were set on fire in Grave between 2014 and 2019. A suspect has been arrested for this. He has been in jail since September 2020. “It is probably a copy cat this time”, thinks a local resident who comes to have a look on Monday morning. “When I heard it last night I thought, oh my gosh, not again.”
The local resident has lived in Grave for almost half a century and experienced three car fires in her neighbourhood. Her windows don’t open, so she bought a security hammer. This allows her to break out a window in case of fire and escape, she says. “People only have a short fuse,” she says.
“I’m not scared of this anymore,” adds a neighbor. “Cars are often set on fire here in Grave, it is not about anything.”
“How do we get this back in order as quickly as possible?”
Now that the smoke has cleared, the question remains to what extent the monumental building can still be refurbished. It is a national monument from 1610. “How can we get this back in order as quickly as possible”, owner Rood wonders. “It is a historic building for which it is difficult to find suitable building material.”
The damage to the property hurts him, but he is mostly relieved. “I’m glad no one was injured. Fortunately, everyone got away safely. The damage will be repaired.”