Sharp increase in house fires in Netherlands; Over 4,000 in first half of 2023

The number of house fires in the Netherlands increased significantly in the first half of 2023, topping the 4,000 mark for the first time ever. That amounts to a fire in someone’s house almost every hour in the first six months of this year, AD reports based on figures released by the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV).

Almost 3,900 of the fires were large enough that the fire department had to respond, according to the newspaper. The national fire department also noticed the increase and launched an investigation. So far, it has noticed “a larger number of chimney fires.” The study is still ongoing.

Ruud van Herpen, a fire safety researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Saxion University of Applied Sciences, sees three main reasons for the increase in fires. First is the energy transition bringing more electrical appliances and equipment, like heat pumps and solar panels, into the home. These catch fire faster than old-fashioned central heating boilers with radiators, he said. Better insulation also makes homes more flammable.

The high energy prices also play a role, Van Herpen said. People still relying on central heating boilers are turning to other, more dangerous ways to keep their homes warm. “They are tempted to burn wood or other fuels, such as kerosene.”

The third likely cause is the aging population, Van Herpen said. Older people spend more time at home and are also less alert. The Netherlands currently has 3.6 million residents over state pension age, over 100,000 more than five years ago.

The Netherlands needs to update its fire safety regulations, Van Herpen said. The current regulations date from 2012, before the energy transition. The government is working on a new Building Decree, but Ven Herpen worries it doesn’t go far enough. “The new decision should be further adjusted so that it contains more requirements about how fireproof a house ultimately is and less about the specific ways in which that goal can be achieved,” he told AD.