Wevelgem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A fire on December 27, 2025, destroyed a Moorsele house in Wevelgem. Family of 5 evacuated. De Winberg Free Primary School, principal Elien Tant, and residents, including Mario Vandendriessche and Karl Herrebout, launched donations.
As VRT News reported, De Winberg Free Primary School in Wevelgem launches an aid drive for Moorsele Fire Victims. The school is open during the holidays to receive donations. Residents can bring clothing, essential items, and other supplies. Teachers and students are helping organise the campaign.
“We didn’t hesitate for a second to do something, because the family needs all the support,”
says principal Elien Tant.
“That will continue for the coming weeks and months, so it makes sense for us to do our part.”
“Right now, the family mainly needs storage boxes, like banana boxes or Curver boxes, to salvage anything they can salvage from the fire. The children will also need children’s books.”
How is the Moorsele community supporting the family after the fire?
Many residents have stepped forward to help. Some have donated televisions and other household items. Others have offered a place in their homes for the family to stay temporarily. Donations of clothing are already more than the family needs. Organisers plan to sell any extra items at a local flea market.
All money raised from the sale will go directly to the family to help them recover from the fire. Local people have also brought supplies directly to De Winberg Free Primary School, where the family’s children attend.
Mario Vandendriessche is one of the residents who delivered items to the school.
“I live nearby, and my daughter knows the family well. I’ve seen the damage, and it’s terrible. We want to help where we can. Every little contribution makes a difference,”
Mario Vandendriessche says.
The parent council has opened a bank account for those who want to give money. Residents like Karl Herrebout said they were moved by the generosity of the community.
“That’s perhaps the most important thing for the family right now. We will therefore also donate a portion of the proceeds from our Winter Market. The support is incredibly heartwarming,”
Karl Herrebout says.
“The amount of solidarity is incredible.”
A large fire broke out on Saturday evening, Dec 27, 2025, in the attic of a house on Meerlaanstraat in Moorsele, near Wevelgem. Firefighters arrived quickly, but the flames spread through the roof, leaving the home uninhabitable.
A family of 5, including 3 children, had to leave immediately. They lost most of their belongings and now need a place to stay. Authorities and neighbours described the fire as sudden and devastating.
In February 2025, an abandoned house on Overheulestraat in Moorsele was set alight. The fire ripped through the 2nd floor, destroying it and rendering the couple who lived there without a permanent residence.
In response to this tragedy, the local neighbourhood responded with a fundraiser and managed to raise a total of more than €7,600 and hundreds of euros in vouchers, which provided the elderly couple with greatly needed assistance.
Similar to the fires in Moorsele, a number of other areas in West Flanders have also experienced fires throughout the year 2025. Most notably, 2 homes and 2 garden sheds sustained fire damage in Kafhoek during the summer of 2019. On the same day that the 2 homes burned down, multiple house fires were reported in Izegem and Wevelgem.
