For the umpteenth time in a few months, a Dixi toilet has been set on fire in Breda. For toilet rental company Toiletje.nl, the supply is full. Owner Jörg Böhnke already saw nine of his toilets go up in flames. “You go to bed every night hoping that another one won’t burn down.”
In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, another fire broke out on Kartinistraat in Breda. As far as we know, this is already the twelfth fire or attempted arson since March.
Shortly after the fire on Tuesday night, the fire brigade also received a report of a fire at a construction site on Nieuwe Heilaarstraat. The police are investigating whether there is a connection between the two fires.
Hit nine times
For Jörg Böhnke, the news hardly comes as a surprise anymore. His company has already been hit nine times. “As you can see, this is the remains of such a fire,” he says, pointing to two burned-out toilets. “You ask yourself: who does something like that? Why do you do something like that? What do you gain from it? It’s just terrible.”
According to Jörg, it is not only his own toilets that are being targeted. “We have nine burnt down, but it also happens to other suppliers, to fellow companies in Breda. So that is very special.”
Almost every week
The consequences are greater than just the material damage. “It is annoying for us, but also for the people who work on a construction site or in the countryside. They need a toilet facility. If such a toilet burns down, they are literally without a toilet.”
Sometimes it even goes wrong twice in a row. “We have installed a new toilet and it was on fire the next day. It is annoying for everyone, including fellow companies.”
What worries him most is that the fires seem to be happening more and more often. “It happens almost every week at the moment. You worry every time. Hopefully one won’t catch fire again tonight.”
Hope for tips from the neighborhood
He hopes that residents can help find the perpetrator. “We were reluctant to pay attention to it at first. You don’t want to give people ideas. But we now hope that someone has seen something, for example via a Ring camera.”
Residents are also surprised by the series of fires. Tanya and Greet can’t get their heads around it. “What’s the point?” Tanya wonders. “I think it’s pure vandalism. People are bored and are doing rotten pranks.”
‘Simply outrageous’
Local resident Wim almost saw the fire coming. “On Monday I said: I think we can wait for it. And then I read your message.” Who is behind it? “I think someone is crazy.”
Rina Berger doesn’t understand it either. “I just think it’s scandalous. It just costs a lot of money. It’s of no use to you.”