Fifty-five people have died in house fires this year, according to Oscare, a Flemish research centre specialising in burn treatment.
This marks a significant decrease compared to the 75 fatalities recorded in 2024. Oscare attributes the decline to the mandatory installation of smoke detectors in Brussels and the renovation of older buildings.
Around 50 deadly house fires were reported across the country. In Flanders, 28 people lost their lives, while Wallonia saw 24 deaths, and three occurred in the Brussels Region.
Victims ranged in age from an 18-month-old child in Denderleeuw, East Flanders, to an 88-year-old from Couillet, Charleroi, in the Hainaut province.
Renovating old homes often leads to the replacement of outdated electrical wiring, which might reduce fire risks, according to Oscare.
The causes of the fires were not fully detailed, but Oscare highlighted short circuits, cooking accidents, and a seasonal increase in chimney fires during winter as common factors. Most fatalities (25) occurred at night.
“This underscores the importance of having a functional smoke detector. When asleep, a person’s sense of smell is inactive, leaving the smoke detector to alert them,” the organisation stated.
Oscare has been tracking these figures for about a decade using news articles and publicly available information. The highest death toll was recorded in 2016 at 78, while the lowest occurred in 2021 with 50 fatalities.
