Brussels firefighters had to evacuate five people from a burning building in the early hours on Monday morning, said Walter Derieuw, spokesman for the Brussels fire brigade.
The fire brigade was called around 3:00 AM to a fire in a bar on the ground floor of a three-storey building on Chaussée de Louvain. One person was present on the first floor, two on the second and two on the third. There were no injuries.
During the rescue, the firefighters were able to enter the bar through a side door in the stairwell. They immediately installed a "smoke screen," a device to prevent smoke from spreading through the building.
"The fire was quickly contained, but the bar is damaged and will not be able to open, at least for the time being," said Derieuw.
"The building was ventilated and after a CO (carbon monoxide) check, most residents were able to return to their apartments. Only the occupants of the second floor were relocated because a window was damaged," he added.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
