Diest (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – One day after the deadly Schaffen apartment fire, most residents returned home. 2 apartments remain uninhabitable, and one family stays in Halve Man housing in Diest. A 44-year-old man died.
As VRT News reported, 1 day after the fatal apartment fire in Schoonaerde, Schaffen, Diest, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, most residents have been cleared to return to their homes. The fire broke out early Tuesday morning, Dec 23, 2025, and claimed the life of a 44-year-old man.
Fire crews evacuated the building as smoke and flames spread through one of the apartments. Crews used large volumes of water to bring the fire under control. The water entered several apartments and affected power installations, forcing authorities to keep residents out for safety reasons.
How did the Diest apartment fire leave 1 dead and homes damaged?
Following safety checks by firefighters and technical services, officials confirmed that most apartments can now be occupied again. Residents were allowed to switch the electricity back on and return to their homes in time for Christmas Eve.
2 apartments remain closed. One is the apartment where the man died and is sealed as part of the investigation. The 2nd apartment suffered serious water damage during the firefighting work and is not yet safe for use.
Mayor Cluckers:
“It will take some time before those apartments are ready. The family is therefore staying in temporary housing on the Halve Man in Diest. They are, of course, allowed to collect belongings.”
The fire brigade was dispatched shortly before 4:30 a.m. when a fire was reported to be engulfing the top floor of an apartment complex in the Schoonaerde neighbourhood. Arriving fire units found fire and thick smoke billowing from one of the upper apartments of the complex. Residents had to be removed from the premises to make way for the fire brigade to take control of the situation.
Later, the public prosecutor’s office announced that the fire had been accidental. Nothing was found indicating that this was an intentionally set fire. Specialists in firefighting analysed the circumstances surrounding the start of this event. It was confirmed that there were no criminal traces left at the scene.
