Arson suspected at farmhouse set to host 450 asylum seekers

A fire severely damaged a large farmhouse on De Hoof in Someren during the early hours of Thursday. The fire department suspects arson. The building was set to house 450 asylum seekers from Monday, Omroep Brabant reports.

The fire department received the first report of the fire at around 0:25 a.m. and escalated the alarm ten minutes later. Three fire extinguishing vehicles, a lifting platform, and multiple ambulances responded to the scene. There was no one in the building, and no one got hurt.

“The fire started in one room, and especially that room has fire damage. The rest of the building has significant smoke damage,” a spokesperson for the fire department said to Omroep Brabant, adding that they have evidence of arson. The police are investigating.

The municipality of Someren planned to accommodate 450 asylum seekers at the farmhouse for two months from November 28. According to the municipality, it involved families and single persons between the ages of 2 and 60 with a good chance of getting refugee status and a residency permit for the Netherlands.