Bierbeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – An overheated, brooding lamp ignited the flames that destroyed the house located on Zwartehoekstraat in Bierbeek. Based on the evidence, the couple who resided at the house managed to escape safely before the fire started. The house is uninhabitable.
A brooder lamp that overheated caused a house fire on Zwartehoekstraat in Bierbeek in Flanders, so the building became uninhabitable. Both elderly residents, aged in their 90s, emerged from the house safely before medical personnel brought them to the hospital for safety examinations.
A neighbor detected the flames at first and made an effort to contain the flames until rescue services arrived. The responding firefighters efficiently contained the fire and its heavy smoke while leaving major damage to the house structure.
The brooder lamp overheated, causing the surrounding materials to start on fire. The house began flaming at its rear section while a watchful neighbor moved to fight the fire before emergency personnel arrived. Emergency responders arrived swiftly after the fire started to stop its expansion. The elderly occupants successfully left the house when the intense flames and thick smoke appeared.
Authorities declared the house completely damaged upon inspection making it unsafe for occupancy until further notice. Authorities are conducting examinations to discover whether more safety precautions would have stopped the incident from happening.
What are the risks of brooder lamps and how common are such fires?
The use of brooder lamps in poultry farming, along with household pets, creates a major fire danger during periods of improper maintenance. Each year, approximately 1,700 residential fires occur due to heating equipment use, including heat lamps, as reported by the U.S. Fire Administration, and these fires lead to 80 deaths and 160 injuries.
Data shows Europe also experiences these fire incidents due to aging electrical wires coupled with extended system operation. The Federal Public Service for Home Affairs of Belgium documented 5,000 residential fires in 2022, and electrical breakdowns were responsible for approximately 30% of those incidents.
Brooder lamps achieve temperatures higher than 250°C (482°F); thus, they must remain at a distance from all flammable materials. Domestic users neglect several recommended safety features, such as automatic cutoff mechanisms, stable installations, and scheduled examinations according to safety standards.
Residential fires in Bierbeek demonstrated how elderly residents require additional time to leave their homes during emergency situations. Flanders runs fire safety campaigns focused on smoke detectors and fireproof home renovations, but avoidable house fires continue to occur across the region.
