The number of car fires increased by more than 6 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. Almost 5,600 reports of car fires were received by the emergency services, according to figures from alarmeringen.nl.
A total of 5,582 reports of car fires were received via the national P2000 network. In 2019, this was 5,258. A nationwide increase of 6 percent. The largest regional increase in the number of car fires took place in Limburg. Here, the number of car fires rose by more than 13 percent to 470. Also in South Holland (13 percent) and Flevoland (12.2 percent) more reports were received in 2020 than in the previous year. However, there was also a boost; in Friesland the number of vehicle fires decreased by almost 12 percent. Most car fires took place in the major cities of Amsterdam (327), The Hague (319), Rotterdam (243) and Eindhoven (154).
According to the website, there were also outliers at the local level. For example, the number of car fires in Wageningen and Urk rose from just one report in 2019 to seventeen and fourteen in 2020 respectively. In Arnhem the number of car fires rose by more than 70 percent to 135.
Insurance
Car fires are not only a huge emotional but often financial blow to the owners. Often people are not insured for it, for example with only third party insurance. In that case, the owner pays for all damage and there is no other option than to buy a new car with your own money. Those who are insured for it, via WA + limited hull or an all-risk insurance, often only receive the current value minus the residual value of the car.