A fire broke out at waste processing company Renewi in Ghent Harbour on Sunday afternoon, sending a large plume of black smoke into the sky.
The incident began around 15:30 in a storage facility for residual waste along the R4 road in Mendonk. “The fire is now under control, and there is no need to escalate further,” said Bjorn Bryon of the Ghent fire brigade.
Firefighters are working to extinguish the fire completely. “Since it involves waste, we need to open everything up to thoroughly douse the flames and use thermal imaging cameras for inspections,” Bryon explained. “This will take several more hours to ensure everything is fully extinguished.”
The black smoke plume was visible from a considerable distance. For safety, residents were advised to keep their windows and doors closed. “The smoke is blowing towards the southwest, and in places like Oostakker, there was a noticeable plastic-like odour,” Bryon added. “However, the smell and smoke are clearly diminishing.”
