Anderlecht, Belgium, 20 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Around 60 residents were evacuated from a six-storey building after an Anderlecht apartment fire sent smoke through stairwells and several floors early on Sunday. Brussels firefighters confirmed that nobody required hospital treatment but reported serious fire-safety deficiencies inside the property.
Fire breaks out on Rue Ropsy Chaudron
Emergency services were called at around 1.30am to the residential building on Rue Ropsy Chaudron. Firefighters said the blaze was already producing substantial smoke when crews arrived.
Many residents had reached the street before emergency services arrived, while others were still leaving the building. Brussels-Midi police established a safety perimeter and assisted with the evacuation. A STIB bus was used as temporary shelter for displaced residents.
Firefighters quickly located the seat of the fire near the building’s rubbish storage area and extinguished the blaze.
Medical plan activated for evacuated residents
Several people reported symptoms after inhaling smoke, leading authorities to activate the Medical Intervention Plan.
Brussels Fire Brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw said the measure was taken because of “the large number of people evacuated, around 60 residents” and because several people had symptoms following smoke inhalation.
The brigade also activated a priority alert under its internal emergency plan and the psychosocial intervention plan.
Several residents were examined at the scene, but firefighters confirmed that nobody needed to be transported to hospital.
Firefighters find serious safety deficiencies
During their response to the Anderlecht apartment fire, crews identified significant problems with the building’s fire protection.
Fire-resistant doors had been removed in several locations, while holes had been made in walls and ceilings. Firefighters said these alterations had seriously compromised the building’s fire compartmentation and contributed to the movement of smoke. The smoke extraction system was also not working properly, and firefighters reported finding no smoke detectors.
Derieuw said:
“Due to shortcomings in the fire compartmentation, the smoke had spread through the stairwells and several floors.”
He added that ventilating the building consequently took considerable time.
Residents return after safety checks
Fire compartmentation is intended to restrict fire and smoke to separate sections of a building, protecting escape routes and limiting the speed at which dangerous smoke can spread.
Fire crews thoroughly ventilated the communal areas and checked carbon monoxide levels before allowing residents to return to their apartments individually.
The incident comes amid heightened attention to residential fire safety in Brussels. On 19 September, firefighters reported another apartment-building fire in Ixelles where no smoke detectors were found, while a separate Brussels fire on 14 September left four people requiring hospital treatment for carbon monoxide exposure.
Cause of Anderlecht fire remains undetermined
As of Sunday, authorities had not established the precise cause of the Anderlecht apartment fire.
Brussels firefighters said the fire-safety deficiencies discovered during the operation would be referred to the competent authorities for further investigation. The reported removal of fire-resistant doors, damage to walls and ceilings, malfunctioning smoke extraction and absence of smoke detectors will form part of that follow-up.
