Six cars went up in flames on Wednesday night in a parking lot at the Bisschopshoeve in Breda. Residents of the adjacent flat were watching despondent. But Lowie Vermeulen (69) didn’t feel like it. He ‘just’ stepped in his car to move it: “It’s your car, then you are doing very crazy.”
“My car was in between, yes,” says Lowie nodding. The morning after the fire he is still impressed by what happened. “I first heard and noise and thought: someone kicks the garbage bar outside. So I went back to bed, but three minutes later I saw an orange glow outside.”
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Lowie dressed immediately and ran outside. There he saw that a fire had broken out in the parking lot. His car also stood there at the fire. Lowie didn’t think, got into his car and drove this road from the danger zone. “Between the bangs and the flames,” he says. “I am used to some fire, because I have been a press photographer. And it is your car – then you are doing very crazy.”
“One of the residents stood here crying outside tonight.”
Lowie was able to save his car through the promotion. However, part of the front and side of the car is melted away. The damage can still be repaired in the garage, he says. “I am particularly sorry for some people here. One of the residents was crying here tonight. He had just bought that car and had no money to buy a new one. It is terrible for those people,” Lowie concludes.
Timon Scheuneman can hardly be there the morning after the fire. His car went up in flames. “Unfortunately, yes. It was about half three when I woke up with hard bangs and commotion. Then I suddenly saw people standing outside. I went outside myself, looked to the right and saw that part of the parking lot was on fire.”
His car did not survive the fire. “It was already an old car, but it was also my first car. I had it for three years. So then it has some emotional value.” Timon has no idea what or who is behind the bangs. “I know nothing yet, but I probably hear more soon. The police have taken all the cars and are investigating. But yes, now it’s just crazy.”
“One car after the other shot fire.”
Local resident Wilma Hupkens says she heard a lot of noise last night. “My son had already called 112 because we heard popping. A kind of small explosions. Then it went wrong. One car after the other shot fire. Fortunately I have no damage to my car myself.”
Three cars that were parked nearby were slight damage. The police are investigating the fire. She has not yet made a statement about the cause of the fire. But Lowie Vermeulen is already out: “This is arson. I know for sure, that is no different. It is always something here at the parking places.”