Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A major fire destroyed a bicycle warehouse on Baron De Serretstraat in Sint-Michiels, Bruges. Firefighters, led by Major Jeroen Bonte, battled the flames for hours. The N31 exit to Bevrijdingslaan is closed.
A big fire happened in a warehouse on Baron De Serretstraat in Sint-Michiels, near Bruges. The fire was so big that it destroyed the whole building. Smoke was in the air and could be seen from far away. Firefighters from different areas came to help.
The warehouse was full of bikes, including e-bikes. Since the store was shut during the fire incident, no one was injured. The fire however burned so ferociously that it took an entire number of firefighters hours to extinguish. Though the front side of the warehouse was successfully brought under control, the rear end continued to burn for several hours.
“When we arrived with several teams, the flames were already through the roof,”
says Jeroen Bonte, major at the Bruges fire brigade.
What caused the warehouse fire in Bruges?
Firefighters stayed at the warehouse for a long time to stop the fire completely and make sure it didn’t start again. Firefighters mentioned that Because of the damage, it would take a long time to clean up and figure out what caused the fire.
The Mayor says that no one was harmed but many bicycles were lost, so it will be expensive to repair them. Since the smoke was so heavy, neighbours were advised to close their doors and windows to avoid getting sick. Investigators are attempting to find out how the fire began since nobody knows yet.
“The building is completely lost,”
says Bonte.
“We will probably be busy here for a long time.”
According to the police, the Bevrijdingslaan exit from the Expresweg (N31) is closed because of the fire and the smoke. They mentioned that Bevrijdingslaan is a big road that leads into the city, so closing it will cause traffic jams. Police are asking people to use different roads to avoid getting stuck in traffic and to let the firefighters do their jobs without getting in their way.
Police are also advising citizens to avoid going to the area around Waggelwater, close to where the fire is located. They stated that smoke from the warehouse fire is blowing in a western direction due to the wind and might render the air unhealthy.
The officials state that the smoke is blowing in one direction and the fire is highly enormous, both of which will be harmful to individuals’ health, particularly to those who are suffering from breathing problems. The emergency services are trying to extinguish the fire, are observing keenly and will continue to update the public.
