Some 3,680 fires reported in the Netherlands during New Year's

Firefighters across the Netherlands responded to 3,680 separate incidents during the 36-hour New Year's period, the National Fire Department said on Monday. That was about 11.5 percent lower than a year earlier, when 4,155 incidents were reported. according to provisional data from the 25 regional emergency services offices in the country. The total was 3,936 when the Netherlands rang in 2022.

Firefighters responded to 106 residential fires, down nearly 25 percent from last year. At the same time, vehicle fires rose by about 20 percent to 225. The number of fires in trash bins also dropped by 5 percent to 785, according to initial figures from the Netherlands Institute of Public Safety (NIPV). Another 45 fires took place in other buildings, while 1,854 more incidents took place in various outdoor spaces. Another 322 incidents were not categorized. All three figures were lower than a year ago.

The New Year's period officially begins at just after midnight on December 31, and ends at 8 a.m. on New Year's Day. That also includes the annual eight-hour timeframe in which fireworks may be detonated, which ends at 2 a.m. on January 1. “During New Year's Eve this year, significant efforts from the fire brigade were once again required, sometimes in difficult circumstances," said Tijs van Lieshout, the head of the national fire brigade.

He also lamented the repeated cases of violence targeting first responders during New Year's. "Our colleagues are deployed to guarantee safety as much as possible. You can't imagine having to do this work while having heavy fireworks thrown at you like bombs. I find that incomprehensible," Van Lieshout said.

Earlier, the national police office said that dozens of police officers were injured during New Year's. Over 200 people were arrested, and riot police units were dispatched frequently to get a grip on the situation.

Fireworks were thrown at first responders in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Delft, as well as several smaller cities, towns and villages.