Arnhem police have confirmed they are investigating the possibility that this week’s devastating fire in central Arnhem was caused by arson.

The night before the fire broke out at the back of budget retailer SoLow on Jansstraat, there was another blaze in a furniture shop on the outskirts of the city. Both outlets are owned by the same investment company, and a possible link between the two fires is now being investigated, RTL News reported on Friday.

According to the Gelderlander local paper, eyewitnesses reported seeing something being thrown into a waste bin, which then began to belch flames around the time of the blaze.

So far, it seems that no one was killed in the fire, which has destroyed 10 buildings, including around 30 apartments. No one has been reported missing, but officials say it will be several days before this can be confirmed.

De drone zweeft boven een gapende wond in Arnhem. In de nacht van 5 op 6 maart brak een felle brand uit in de Jansstraat, bij winkelpand SoLow. Het vuur greep razendsnel om zich heen, aangewakkerd door de oude houten structuren van zeker tien historische panden uit de 18e en 19e… pic.twitter.com/r6mpBYPBIu

— Han Altena (@HanAltena) March 7, 2025

Some of the 100 or so people who were evacuated in the early hours of Thursday morning have been allowed to return home, but dozens of people have been left without a place to live.

Investigators have not yet been able to enter some of the properties because of the risk of collapse.