Three Injured in Possible Arson Fire in Ekeren

Three people were injured early Saturday morning when a fire broke out in an apartment building above a garden center in Ekeren, a district of Antwerp, Belgium. Authorities are investigating the blaze as a possible arson after a 23-year-old resident was found in a confused state on the roof of the building.

The fire was reported in the early morning hours of August 1, according to VRT NWS. Fire crews arrived to find thick black smoke rising from the rear of the building on Leugenberg, where flames were visible coming from a first-floor apartment.

Building Houses Garden Center and Apartments

The affected building is home to De Hofleverancier, a garden and pond center that has been operating since 1982. The business occupies the ground floor, with two residential apartments located above it. Residents of the adjacent building were also evacuated as a precautionary measure.

“The report came in early in the morning,” said Marie De Clercq, spokesperson for Brandweer Zone Antwerpen (Antwerp Fire Zone), as reported by HLN. “When we arrived, it turned out to be a commercial building with apartments above. The caller said there was a lot of smoke but no visible fire. That there was a lot of black smoke was confirmed when our teams arrived on scene.”

Resident Found on Roof in Critical Condition

All three residents of the apartments were taken to hospital after inhaling excessive amounts of smoke. The most seriously affected was a 23-year-old man from the first-floor apartment where the fire originated. He was found in a life-threatening condition on the roof of the building when emergency services arrived.

“One resident was in the smoke for a long time and was in a confused state on the roof when emergency services arrived,” said Wouter Bruyns, police spokesperson for PZ Antwerpen (Antwerp local police). “Both the residents of the affected building and the adjacent building were evacuated. From the affected building, it concerns the two residents of the top floor and the resident of the first floor where the fire was. They all inhaled too much smoke and were taken to hospital.”

The fire was brought under control within roughly twenty minutes of the initial call, and no more carbon monoxide was detected in the building shortly thereafter, according to De Clercq. One person was evacuated via the rear of the building.

Investigation into Possible Arson

Police have stated there are indications pointing toward arson. The judicial lab will conduct a forensic investigation to confirm or rule out whether the fire was deliberately set.

“We were ultimately able to quickly extinguish the fire and it was already under control within twenty minutes,” De Clercq said. “We were able to evacuate one person via the back. We didn’t find any more people.”

The damage to the building is extensive, according to the fire department, and it remains uncertain whether the structure is still habitable. The full extent of the damage and the circumstances surrounding the fire remain under investigation.

What to Watch For

The forensic investigation by the judicial lab will be crucial in determining whether this was indeed a case of arson. If confirmed, it would mark the latest in a series of fires in the Leugenberg area in recent years, including a kitchen fire in May 2026 and a major fire at a family business in July 2026.

Authorities have not released further details about the condition of the three hospitalized residents, though the 23-year-old man was reported to be in life-threatening condition. The investigation into the fire’s origin and cause is ongoing.