Heavy machinery is being brought in to help Brussels firefighters safely extinguish the last remaining hotspot after a fire tore through a building on Quai de Mariemont in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean early on Saturday, leaving one person seriously affected by smoke inhalation and the structure unstable.
Emergency services were called to the site at about 03:30. The building housed a warehouse, offices and a function hall, and the fire was already fully developed when crews arrived.
One person on the second floor alerted rescuers with a torch and was evacuated using an aerial ladder. Three colleagues were able to leave the building by themselves.
Related News
- Severe fire in Brussels building
- Belgium’s debt drift: Is the country's luck about to run out?
- How Belgium bred its multi-million-euro pigeon racing obsession
“The building’s stability has been compromised, so our teams are working with the utmost caution and are calling in heavy equipment to reach the final hotspot safely,” said Walter Derieuw, spokesman for the Brussels fire brigade.
Firefighters are also waiting for a heavy-duty cutting tool to slice through metal parts of the structure.
Crews fought the blaze using aerial ladders as water towers and a water cannon. Water was also pumped from the canal to boost supplies.
The fire was brought under control at about 06:40, and firefighters narrowly prevented it from spreading to a neighbouring warehouse.
Residents of an adjacent building evacuated their homes of their own accord and were taken in by police at a nearby building.
A wide security perimeter has been set up by Brussels-West police. The fire has been extinguished, but the operation is still under way, and the cause remains unknown.
