New Year's Fireworks caused at least €8 million in damages in first estimate

Private individuals suffered at least 8 million euros in damages caused by fireworks during the recent New Year's period, the Dutch Association of Insurers said on Tuesday. The initial estimate put together by the association was down 20 percent compared to the first estimate of 10 million euros that was calculated last year. Ultimately, the total amount of private damage amounted to 15.5 million euros as revellers took to the streets to ring in 2023.

The association based its estimate on the claims that insurers received on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. This concerns, for example, damage to homes, scooters or cars due to fireworks, or fires caused by fireworks.

Medical costs and damage to public buildings are not included in the trade association's calculations.

Before the coronavirus pandemic years, the value of the initial damage estimates were frequently higher, even without accounting for inflation. A decade ago, the figure was at 12.4 million euros, according to a January 2015 estimate. The following year rose to 14 million euros, before jumping up to 19.5 million euros as the country ushered in 2017. The total fell by more than half a year later, before rising back up again. From New Year's Eve 2018 into New Year's Day 2019, the damage estimate was 13.5 million. A year later it rose by another half-million.

The general downward trend in private damages claims, at least with the initial estimate, can be due to several reasons, said Richard Weurding, the head of the Association of Insurers. "There were fireworks-free zones in many municipalities. In addition, the bad weather during New Year's probably also had a positive effect on the extent of damage," he said.

When the coronavirus crisis broke out, damage claims decreased around New Year's, but that escalated again from the end of 2022 into 2023. Weurding said that the fireworks bans in various municipalities proved difficult to enforce in practice. There were also strong winds and "a huge number of illegal fireworks had been imported.."

The final damage amount for the most recent New Year's period will be determined later this year.