Brussels firefighters evacuated residents from about 60 flats in a building on Antwerpse Steenweg overnight from Saturday to Sunday after burning rubbish caused smoke to spread through the property.
Emergency crews were called at about 2:50, firefighters told Belga on Sunday.
Rubbish had caught fire at the foot of an external staircase. Smoke then entered the building through the stairwell doors, prompting many residents to leave as a precaution.
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Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control using a high-pressure hose while evacuating residents from the building, which contains 60 flats.
Nearly all of the flats, located between the first and sixth floors, were checked for possible carbon monoxide.
Low levels of carbon monoxide were detected in two flats, but the readings dropped almost immediately once the windows were opened.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
