Children’s huts in Amsterdam-North on fire under wood remain unguarded
Huts built by children during the Youth Land event on the Floraveld in Amsterdam North were set on fire tonight. The wood would have to be removed, but the contractor who had to take care of that couldn’t arrange that until Thursday. According to organizer Patrick van Bronswijk, he had indicated to the district that the wood would remain overnight, but that it had to remain guarded.
“We had a three-day event at the Floraveld, we had received a permit for that”, Van Bronswijk tells AT 5 O’CLOCK. “The contractor who also produces the wood for the annual fire, informed me on Tuesday morning that he was not going to get the wood.”
According to Van Bronswijk, who is chairman of the Flora4life foundation, three enforcers visited the Floraveld today. “I also reported it to them. Everyone was aware of Jeugdland and that the contractor could not immediately remove the wood. Yet in the end the wood remained.”
Van Bronswijk had told the district council that the wood should not be left unattended if it could not be removed. “During the event, we guarded the wood ourselves. But with the history of the neighborhood and the absence of the New Year’s fire for two years, you can’t leave wood unattended on the field.”
In the evening, Van Bronswijk was told that the children’s huts had been lit. “A neighbor called me that it was on fire, I thought damn it. I immediately attacked the fire brigade. The police said we had a fire at our event, but that was not the case at all.”
A police saying says that the brand was lit and that several people were standing around it. The fire brigade then extinguished the mark and wet the wood.
Fear of permit fire
Because of the fire, Van Bronswijk is afraid that the permit for the annual canal change will not be fire. “Our relationship with the district is worth mentioning. We want to apply for the permit for the fire as early as possible every year, but that was not possible this year. We do not yet have an answer to the permit, I am holding my heart.”
He also has a gloomy view of the permit for a Youth Country in the summer. “The children would like to sleep in the huts they build, for that it must be warmer. can organize.”