Stekene (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On August 11th, 2025, at 8:30 AM, a truck carrying 20 tons of scrap metal caught fire on the E34, near the town of Stekene. Firefighters with Chief Thierry Van Goethem took measures using a crane as well as a ladder truck to bring the fire under control.
As VRT News reported, on Aug 11, 2025, early in the morning at around 8:30 a.m., a truck carrying about 20 tons of scrap metal caught fire near Stekene, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, on the E34 highway. The reason for the fire is still unknown.
Other drivers nearby saw what was happening and quickly warned the truck driver. Because of their timely alert, the driver was able to stop safely on the side of the road and detach the tractor from the trailer.
What caused the truck fire on the E34 near Stekene, and how are firefighters handling it?
Authorities indicated that firefighters had to go onto the roof in order to put the fire out because normal means had not worked. The fire was not extinguished after multiple tries. No injuries were reported.
Traffic on the E34 towards Antwerp was narrowed down to one lane due to the fire. The closure of this lane should last for the duration of the entire morning. Waasland fire district zone commander Thierry Van Goethem explained that it will take a few more hours to extinguish the fire because of the intricacies involved and the difficulties that the emergency teams are going through.
A crane and an extra truck need to be brought to the fire scene. The crane will remove scrap metal from the damaged truck because the fire is hidden within the heavy load. After the fire is fully extinguished, the scrap metal will be transferred to the other truck for safe removal from the highway.
A fire happened last year on a nearby highway when a truck carrying construction waste caught fire. Officials mentioned that the heavy and packed materials made it hard to put out the flames. Firefighters used special tools and removed the cargo. The incident caused lane closures and long traffic delays.
