On New Year's Day, the streets of Brussels turned chaotic as multiple car fires illuminated the night sky, leaving residents like Sidonie Nkouette grappling with the aftermath. Nkouette, who lives in Braine-le-Comte, had graciously lent her car to a friend for the holiday, only to find the vehicle completely destroyed by fire parked at place Lemmens.
"This car is very important to me. The train station is fifteen minutes from here. I use it to go to work in Brussels, drive my daughters to their activities, and do the shopping," Nkouette expressed deeply somber. Without comprehensive insurance, she now faces the harsh reality of replacing her vehicle, heightened by additional costs incurred from having her car towed and the cleanup of the fire-damaged area.
According to VTM Nieuws, the DA.CAR towing service was rushed to handle the situation, removing at least 30 burnt-out vehicles to their storage facility, where they will be processed as scrap. Jasper Peelman, manager at DA.CAR, elaborated, "Our employees must also be paid on holidays." The labor involved, particularly over New Year's, is not only logistically demanding but also fraught with the risk of flare-ups from the still-smoldering wrecks.
Firefighters had their hands full, responding to 588 incidents during the New Year’s festivities, as opposed to approximately 450 incidents on typical nights. Among these calls, they dealt with 30 vehicles alight and faced numerous challenges, including hostile crowds. Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels firefighters, characterized the night as "busy," reflecting on the mental toll it took on their team. "Who can understand the insane situation where rescuers cannot work calmly and safely?" he expressed, highlighting the unpredictability and danger they faced.
The night became even more perilous when fire professionals found themselves targeted by aggressive individuals hurling Molotov cocktails during their operations. "During their intervention, our colleagues were targeted by Molotov cocktails... they had to leave their fire hose abandoned to seek safety," Derieuw noted, painting a stark picture of the struggle for safety against violence.
Brussels police reported 1,758 interventions throughout the evening, which resulted in the arrest of 159 troublemakers. This surge of disturbances not only complicated the firefighters' work but also left significant damage to property including police vehicles, trams, and buses. Remarkably, four police officers suffered minor injuries, emphasizing the night's violence.
Nkouette's situation is representative of the frustrations felt by many affected residents. With towing costs running about 500 euros, the burden only increases for those without the means to reclaim their vehicles through insurance. "It’s incredibly disheartening," she remarked, reflecting not just on the loss of her car but the unexpected financial burden thrust upon her as well.
What began as celebrations quickly spiraled for many, borne out of public disorder and, as Nkouette implies, misjudged festivities saddled the community with heavy repercussions. The haunting visuals of flames consuming vehicles and the frenetic sound of sirens linger still, as residents recover from the chaos of New Year’s Day.