Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A major oil spill at Karreveldlaan-Gentsesteenweg in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek was cleaned up by the Flemish Brabant West fire department using special containers from Halle and Zaventem.
On April 19, 2025, around 10:45, the fire department in the Flemish Brabant West zone was called to help in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. A garbage truck had a big oil leak at the busy intersection of Karreveldlaan and Gentsesteenweg. The leak was so bad that they needed extra help to clean it up. They mentioned that the oil was dangerous to the environment and people, so it wasn’t just a simple cleanup.
How did Flemish Brabant West tackle the Molenbeek oil spill?
The fire department has special containers to clean up messes on the road. These containers are located in Halle and Zaventem. They use hot water and soap to clean up things like grease and oil.
Wouter Jeanfils from the fire department explained that these special tools helped them clean up the oil quickly and safely. He mentioned that the intersection was safe for drivers and walkers again, without too much trouble.
“Our fire zone has 2 specialised containers for cleaning the road surface. One is in Halle, the other in Zaventem,”
Says Wouter Jeanfils of the fire zone Flemish Brabant West.
The Flemish Brabant West fire brigade is among a few fire brigades in the region with this special equipment. This is due to the fact that they service a large region with many congested roads, such as the Brussels Ring, the E40, and the E19 motorways. Officials stated that the roads are busy, so spills and accidents are more frequent.
The fire department decided to buy these special cleaning tools a few years ago. Even though they don’t use them every day, they are really important. The fire department is often asked to help other towns, like Lede, where they recently cleaned up a similar mess.
“Our fire brigade zone has a cooperation agreement with our Brussels colleagues. Every day, we join forces on intervention and offer each other reinforcement where necessary. We like to help each other,”
Wouter Jeanfils adds.
