On Friday afternoon, the owner stands in disbelief looking at the mess at her burned-out chalet in Schaijk. A day earlier a fire was set there, a 40-year-old man from Oss is detained. “I have no words for it. This was my passion, I love gardening and that is possible here.”
The fire broke out in the chalet on Thursday morning. A woman, who rents the house from the owner, was sleeping and was awakened by a bang. She managed to escape the flames. The chalet was badly damaged.
The owner herself was not at the chalet when the fire broke out. Friday afternoon she examines the enormous damage. “I have rented it out temporarily and only now see the destruction,” says the woman with tears in her eyes. “Luckily she got away safely and there were no casualties.”
The fire was lit outside, the owner says. “There was a mattress in front of this so you could enjoy the sun outside a bit. That was set on fire.”
The woman does not want to tell why someone would want to set her chalet on fire. Local residents tell Omroep Brabant that the tenant’s ex-partner was behind it. He would also have been arrested. The police would not confirm this because of the investigation.
The resident discovered the fire herself and called 911. “She heard a bang and the dog immediately started barking. Then she called 911, quickly gathered some things and ran outside.”
Shortly after the fire, officers spotted a man in a car who caught their eye. He turned out to be under the influence of alcohol, but not much later the officers also saw indications that he might have been involved in the fire. The man is in custody pending further investigation.
ALSO READ: Woman escapes flames when her chalet is set on fire