Firefighters Busy During New Year’s Eve: Record Number of Car Fires, Increase in Residential and Container Blazes
In an unusual turn of events, the new year commenced with a surge in emergencies for firefighters, particularly involving car fires, residential blazes, and container fires. The statistics, compiled by the Netherlands Institute for Safety (NIPV), paint a striking picture of the increased activity during the new year’s celebrations.
Car Fires Reach Highest Level Since 2019
Last year’s new year’s celebration saw a significant increase in car fires compared to previous years. A total of 270 vehicles were engulfed in flames, marking a 40% increase from the previous year and the highest number since 2019. The Rotterdam-Rijnmond region bore the brunt of this increase, with 42 incidents, closely followed by the province of Utrecht (38) and the Haaglanden region (30). Nationwide, firefighters were deployed 4000 times during the holiday period, a slight increase from the preceding year.
Other Emergencies on the Rise
The spike in car fires was not an isolated incident. The number of residential fires and container fires also increased significantly. These increases were the highest recorded since 2019. Firefighters responded to 144 residential fires and 1054 container fires, highlighting a busy period for emergency services.
The figures were collated from the fire services’ emergency call centers, covering the period from 31 December at 00:00 hours to 1 January at 08:00 hours (a total of 32 hours). However, it is important to note that figures released by individual safety regions may differ due to variations in reporting methods or periods.
Oogziekenhuis Treats 27 Vuurwerks Injuries
The number of people admitted to Rotterdam’s Oogziekenhuis (Eye Hospital) with fireworks-related injuries stands at 27, with eight of those requiring surgery. This figure is expected to rise as more patients may still be admitted. The hospital had previously reported treating 18 patients as of the evening of January 1st.
