The fire brigade reported the largest number of fires in the past ten years at the turn of the year. In total, more than four thousand fire reports were received around New Year’s Eve. That is 10 percent more than the old record of almost 3,700 reports, which was recorded at the turn of the year 2019-2020.
This is evident from an analysis by NRC of the so-called P2000 reports about fires and fires around the turn of the year. Last New Year was probably the last where consumers were allowed to light fireworks; From next year this will in principle be prohibited.
Municipalities do everything they can to ensure that New Year’s Eve runs smoothly, according to conversations with mayors of municipalities where there is often unrest around New Year’s Eve. With varying degrees of success: the number of reports this year was 12 percent higher than last year, when the fire brigade was alerted more than 3,600 times. In half of the municipalities the number of reports increased compared to last year.
The Hague was the big outlier with more than 414 reports, almost 40 percent more than the year before. The number of reports was one and a half times as high as in Amsterdam and even twice as high as in Rotterdam.
Also compared to the population, the fire brigade was very busy in The Hague. With more than 7 reports per 10,000 inhabitants, the third city in the Netherlands is firmly in the top 10. The municipality of Voorne aan Zee tops the list, with more than 19 reports per 10,000 inhabitants. The vast majority of these reports can be traced back to one incident: a major fire in a parking garage under an apartment complex in Hellevoetsluis.
But there was also unrest in the rest of the municipality, says Mayor Arno Scheepers local media. “It makes me sad that what could have been a very pleasant New Year’s Eve is overshadowed by the fact that in our region a report is received by the control room every eight seconds.”
Other outliers include West Betuwe, Arnhem and Zaltbommel, municipalities where New Year’s Eve is busy every year.
“It was a very busy, hectic night,” acknowledges Mayor Servaas Stoop of West Betuwe. Residents lit bonfires in various places. “The fire brigade can put out those fires without any problems because the firefighters are known to the residents.” But there is damage to the road surface. For a number of years, West Betuwe has allowed a bonfire in one place, after consultation with residents. “The residents use clean fuel and clean up afterward.”
In the municipality of Eemsdelta, reports are handled in a “little train”, says Mayor Ben Visser: “First the police assess the situation. If the fire needs to be extinguished, the fire brigade comes. And then the municipality comes to clean up the mess.” As a result, things do not get out of hand, says Visser. “Firefighters are often volunteers who come from the municipality themselves. This year they had to put out a bonfire because it became dangerous for the area. That is not always accepted. We therefore rely on the authority of the police, who first start the conversation.”
Other municipalities are also developing initiatives to ensure the celebration of New Year’s Eve runs smoothly. For example, youth workers and police officers in Vijfheerenlanden discuss their plans in advance with groups of (young) residents. “Then we determine the places where they can light fires and agree that they will not throw car tires on them,” says mayor Sjors Fröhlich: “We dump sand on the street or sidewalk to protect it.” In a neighborhood where “uncontrollable bonfires arose” in the past, the celebration is now “festive and peaceful,” according to Fröhlich.
In The Hague, fireworks lessons are offered at schools and known troublemakers receive a warning in advance. Shared scooters, often targeted during New Year’s Eve, are removed from ‘risk areas’ as much as possible by providers.
Various municipalities hire private security guards during New Year’s Eve due to limited boa capacity. This also applies to Molenlanden, where two private security guards took over the duties of a sick boa. “Our municipality has twenty centres, but we do not have twenty boas,” says mayor Theo Segers. New Year’s Eve in Molenlanden passed quietly.
In the municipality of Molenlanden, two private security guards took over the duties of a sick boa
Maasdriel also hired private security guards. It was one of the many measures that the municipality took to prevent disturbances, in addition to security cameras and extra boas in risk areas. Preparation already started in the summer. “Two years ago we had major riots in Hedel and last year things went wrong in Kerkdriel,” says mayor Antoine Walraven. This year, a safety risk area was officially declared there. In the weeks before New Year’s Eve, several raids were carried out in which illegal fireworks were seized after reports via Meld Misdaad Anoniem – the municipality had held discussions with local residents in advance and called on them to report suspicious circumstances.
With the exception of a house that burned down after a rocket probably landed in the thatched roof, it remained quiet in Maasdriel. But everything has been pulled out for this, says Walraven. “It takes quite a bit to keep New Year’s Eve on the right track.”
Pekela started taking preventive measures against fires on the street about five years ago, says mayor Jaap Kuin. “There was too much damage. Then on New Year’s Day I came to people who were crying because their new curtains had turned black due to the soot from burnt tires.” The municipality has started handing out fire barrels, where residents “may burn clean wood in consultation with their neighbors.” That is starting to have an effect, says Kuin: “It was quieter for the first time this year.” There were slightly fewer reports, which mainly involved small fires: “Waste and sometimes car tires.”
Despite the (small) successes, things still often go wrong. “There remains an atmosphere of impunity around New Year’s Eve,” says Fröhlich of Vijfheerenlanden. In his municipality, twelve light poles were blown up in a park and bricks and tiles were thrown against the glass facade in a shopping center. “We had to deploy the riot police there,” says Fröhlich.
And not only there, the police reported on New Year’s Day. Almost all available officers of the Mobile Unit (ME) were working during New Year’s Eve. Deputy Chief of Police Wilbert Paulissen spoke of “a maximum effort that lasted half the night.”
The riot police also had to intervene in several places in The Hague, in most cases due to violence against the emergency services. Mayor Jan van Zanen calls it “unpalatable” that the police and fire brigade were targeted with heavy fireworks.
Van Zanen is a big supporter of the fireworks ban. Mayors have lobbied hard for this in recent years in The Hague politics. The question is whether the upcoming ban on consumer fireworks will have an effect.
Mayor Kuin van Pekela doesn’t think so, also because his municipality is close to Germany where fireworks can be freely purchased. “The threshold will be slightly higher, but I don’t think we will see fewer fireworks next year.” His colleague Visser in the neighboring Eemsdelta also does not expect miracles from the ban: “The tradition of lighting fireworks is quite deeply rooted in the Netherlands, you cannot simply abolish it.”
In any case, the national government will have to take extra action, says Mayor Walraven van Maasdriel: “There must be a plan for enforcement and to prevent the import of fireworks from abroad.” His municipality wants to talk to residents: “If people are not allowed to let off fireworks, you have to offer an alternative, such as a fireworks show.”
Parents should be held accountable for the behavior of their children, says Mayor Fröhlich of Vijfheerenlanden. “Because a lot of bad things are done by little boys.” That will take time, he acknowledges, just like when smoking was banned in public spaces. “There was a big fuss in the beginning. It is now no longer normal to smoke anywhere. I think things will go in the same direction with the fireworks ban.”
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