A fire broke out late on Monday at the construction site of the future Kanal–Centre Pompidou museum near Place Sainctelette in Brussels, with no reported injuries.
The blaze was brought under control after a few hours and was fully extinguished by 21:00.
Firefighters were still carrying out mopping-up and clean-up operations on Monday evening at the future contemporary art museum, which is due to officially open in November.
The blaze is believed to have started in a technical room beneath the roof of the building. Firefighters continued damping down the site to extinguish remaining hotspots and complete clean-up work.
Emergency crews were sent to the scene after the fire was reported, having quickly located the source during an inspection of the premises.
The fire was tackled from both inside and outside the building. A large plume of smoke rose above the site and was visible at a distance across the city.
The fire at the future Kanal museum in Brussels, Monday 6 July 2026. Credit: Brussels Fire Brigade
The fire at the future Kanal museum in Brussels, Monday 6 July 2026. Credit: Brussels Fire Brigade
The fire at the future Kanal museum in Brussels, Monday 6 July 2026. Credit: Brussels Fire Brigade
A replacement of the emergency teams was organised at about 19:30 because of the high temperatures, Brussels Fire Brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw said.
No staff were still inside the building when the fire broke out, and no one was injured, he added.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and emergency services remained at the scene to complete the operation.
