He was back with his family from an outing in Amsterdam when Bekir Çikrikçioglu received the first reports of a possible fire in his business, tire service and garage Petlas Banden Service in Bergen op Zoom. “When I arrived the fire was already so big,” says Bekir, defeated. “Ten years of work is gone overnight.”
On Wednesday evening around 8:30 p.m., a fire broke out in Bekir’s business. The fire brigade was present en masse and tried to prevent the fire from spreading further to other companies in the business complex. The fire was under control four hours after it started. After the fire brigade had given the signal, the fire continued for hours to extinguish.
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In daylight you can clearly see the damage to the outside of the building. Part of the roof has collapsed and fire and rainwater is flowing in. The logo on the facade of the company has become blackened and unreadable due to the fire.
The fire brigade immediately boarded up the building after 39-year-old Bekir had gone home. “The damage is even greater in daylight than I thought,” Bekir sighs. Everything was lost in fire. “It contained an inventory of over a ton and a half.” And Bekir had just purchased new things, such as a bridge, an alignment device and a completely new MOT station. “The dirt bike and a scooter were also inside and all my tools and equipment. I really shouldn’t start talking about that, because then I won’t be any good.”
When the fire broke out, Bekir and his family were in Amsterdam for an outing. “On the way back I received messages that there was smoke at my business, but it was not yet clear whether it was in my case.” When he arrived at his garage he saw a large cloud of smoke and large flames. “I didn’t really know what to feel at that moment. Should I cry? Should I scream? I don’t know. I actually stayed very calm. I was in a kind of shock.”
Clearing rubble
Customers and neighbors sympathize with Bekir and his family. Some of them come to take a look on Boxing Day or even lend a hand with clearing the rubble. Burnt tires that were in front of the building are being removed. Three hired professionals are also doing light clean-up work. Now Bekir is waiting for clarity about the damage and insurance. He can’t do more until then.
It is not yet clear what the cause of the fire is. “I read that it may be a short circuit, but that is not certain. An expert is coming to investigate,” says Bekir. “They haven’t told me yet what the cause is.”
Impact on family
The fire has a major impact on Bekir, his wife Hande and his children. “I was home, but I couldn’t sleep last night.” His 6-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter were affected by the fire, he says. “They were crying, that made me emotional. But I said: you have nothing, we are still here, nothing is wrong, boys!”
Despite the enormous damage, Bekir is hopeful for the future. “I think the feeling that people support me is much more important than the money. I have built up a good name, a clientele and friendships. Everything will turn out fine,” Bekir concludes optimistically.