Menen, Belgium, 19 August (Brussles Morning Newspaper) A huge Galloo fire at a recycling plant in Menen has sent a thick plume of smoke across parts of Belgium after nearly 400 tonnes of electrical material caught fire early on Wednesday. Around 100 firefighters, supported by crews from neighbouring France, were called in to tackle the blaze.
The fire broke out at Galloo’s recycling site near the French border, prompting a major emergency response from Brandweerzone Fluvia. Firefighters had been working at the site since about 4.30am as flames burned through the large stockpile.
The scale of the blaze was visible far beyond Menen. Smoke was carried eastwards across Belgium, with reports indicating that the plume had reached as far as East Flanders.
Nearly 400 tonnes of material catches fire
Fire crews faced a difficult operation because of the sheer quantity of material involved.
Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported that almost 400 tonnes of electrical material were burning at the recycling site. The volume of waste meant crews had to work through a substantial pile while trying to stop the blaze spreading elsewhere on the premises.
Around 100 firefighters from Brandweerzone Fluvia were involved, while several French fire services also joined the response. Menen lies directly on Belgium’s border with France, allowing neighbouring crews to provide additional support during the large-scale operation.
Huge smoke plume travels across Belgium
The Galloo fire quickly became a wider concern because of the amount of smoke rising from the site.
Rather than remaining over Menen, the plume travelled across West Flanders and towards East Flanders. Its reach meant people many kilometres from the actual fire could see or encounter smoke despite being nowhere near the recycling plant.
The incident underlined how quickly the effects of a large industrial fire can spread beyond the immediate emergency zone when wind carries smoke over surrounding communities.
People in areas affected by the plume should follow instructions from Belgian emergency and local authorities, particularly where guidance is issued about keeping windows and doors closed or limiting exposure to smoke.
Firefighters face a lengthy operation
Extinguishing hundreds of tonnes of burning material is considerably different from dealing with a smaller, contained fire.
Crews must not only bring visible flames under control but also reach material deeper inside a burning pile, where hotspots can continue to smoulder.
That made Wednesday’s operation a significant undertaking for the Belgian and French firefighters working at the scene.
No cause for the fire had been officially established in the verified reporting available at the time of publication.
Galloo site has faced fires before
Galloo is a major recycling business with operations centred in Menen, where the company processes discarded materials for recovery and reuse.
The Menen operation has previously experienced serious fires, making fire prevention and emergency response an established issue at the industrial site.
Wednesday’s incident, however, drew particular attention because of the reported quantity of electrical material involved and the distance travelled by the smoke.
Why the Menen fire matters
For residents, the most immediate concern is the smoke rather than the flames themselves.
A plume capable of travelling across provincial boundaries can affect communities far beyond the streets surrounding the industrial site. It also means public guidance may change as weather conditions and the firefighting operation develop.
The cross-border response is another important feature of the incident, with Belgian and French crews working together at a site only a short distance from France.
What happens next?
Firefighters will need to continue working through the affected material until the blaze and remaining hotspots are fully extinguished.
Attention will then turn to establishing what started the Galloo fire and assessing the consequences at the recycling site. Until investigators or the relevant authorities confirm a cause, claims about how the blaze began remain unverified.
Authorities are also expected to keep watch on the smoke plume while the operation continues, with residents advised to follow official local guidance if smoke reaches their area.
