Father saves two daughters from blazing home in Tilburg

A father managed to save his two daughters in a fire in Tilburg on Saturday night. "Her frightened look is burned on my retina," writes one officer who took care of the children.

The police received a report about a severe house fire at the Mieredikhof in the town in Noord-Brabant. At least four fire engines, three ambulances, and various police units were sent to the site. The fire had broken out downstairs, presumably due to a short circuit from a charger to an electrical outlet.

The father managed to get himself and his two children to safety but inhaled a lot of smoke in the process. The family was taken to the hospital by ambulance for further examination and treatment. Two police officers also went for a checkup with breathing problems.

A present dog escaped during the incident and is still missing. Calls are circulating on social media to look out for the four-legged friend. A hamster has been rescued by the fire brigade and taken care of by local residents. The damage to the house is enormous. The house is otherwise uninhabitable. Immediate neighbors were evacuated during the fire.

An officer wrote a story this morning about what he saw on arrival, a "red glow and the flames" blasting from the front facade. "We run to the house with our other colleagues and see two little girls standing in front of the house, both with only a duvet folded. My colleague and I pick up the kids and run from danger. We can safely accommodate the kids with a helpful neighbor across the street. We had to shout out to the father, who was still in the house, and, thankfully, he responded to that. Stumbling under a thick smokescreen, he comes out. Fortunately, we could also bring him to safety."