One Dead in Brussels Louise Avenue Apartment Fire

A person has died in a fire that broke out early Wednesday morning in an apartment building on Brussels’ prestigious Louise Avenue, according to VRT NWS. The Brussels fire brigade (SIAMU) was called to the scene in the early morning hours and found the blaze raging in an apartment on the seventh floor of the eight-story building.

Emergency Response and Evacuation

Fire crews dispatched two command vehicles, four fire engines, two ladder trucks, an ambulance, and a MUG (Medical Urgency Group) team to the scene. The fire was brought under control within about an hour and extinguished shortly thereafter, according to the BRUZZ.

Several dozen residents were evacuated from the building and initially taken to a lobby before being moved to a reception center operated by the municipality of Ixelles and the Red Cross. The building’s internal emergency plan was activated, and psycho-social support was provided for affected residents.

“That is the highest floor that was inhabited; on the 8th floor there is a technical room,” said Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels fire brigade. “Several dozen residents were evacuated from the building, and first taken to a lobby and then to a reception center of the municipality and the Red Cross.”

Fatal Discovery

During search and rescue operations following the extinguishing of the fire, emergency personnel discovered one person deceased in the apartment where the blaze had occurred. It is not yet clear whether the deceased was the resident of the affected apartment, as reported by HLN.

“The corridor on the 7th floor is completely blackened and the doors of the other apartments on that floor are damaged, so the apartments on the 7th floor are uninhabitable,” Derieuw added. “In 2 apartments on the 6th floor there is also water seepage from the firefighting water.”

Investigation Underway

The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has appointed a fire expert to investigate the cause of the blaze. The federal police laboratory and a forensic doctor have also been dispatched to the scene, according to RTL Info.

One resident of the building, Eugeniu Pruteanu, reported hearing a loud explosion before the fire alarm went off. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office said it is currently carrying out various investigative activities and could not provide further comment for the time being.

Disruption and Recovery

The fire caused temporary disruption to tram services operated by MIVB/STIB, with lines 8, 81, 92, and 93 affected on various routes. Tram service resumed later that morning, and the fire brigade operation was lifted shortly thereafter, as detailed by De Morgen.

The Galerie Louise shopping complex was temporarily closed due to the incident. Residents up to the third floor were allowed to return to their apartments later that morning.

Ixelles Mayor Romain De Reusme said the municipality is providing support for displaced residents. “They can go there to charge their phones and take care of administrative matters. We also provide food and drinks,” he said, as reported by La Libre.

The Building and Its Significance

The apartment building sits above the Louizagalerij (Galerie Louise), a covered shopping gallery complex constructed between 1951 and 1958 by architect Émile Goffay. The complex, which replaced a former 19th-century mansion, originally included a covered shopping street with about 50 shops, two underground levels, parking, and a residential apartment building with 70 apartments. The front building on Louise Avenue is a Beaux-Arts style structure from 1925 designed by architect Gaston Ide. The complex was listed in the Brussels heritage inventory in August 2024, according to the Heritage Brussels inventory.

Louise Avenue is one of Brussels’ most prestigious thoroughfares, often described as the Brussels equivalent of the Champs-Élysées. The avenue runs through the municipalities of Brussels City and Ixelles.

What to Watch For

The cause of the fire remains undetermined, and the investigation by the Brussels public prosecutor’s office is ongoing. Authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the deceased or whether they were the resident of the affected apartment. The full extent of the damage to the building and when residents of the sixth and seventh floors will be able to return to their homes also remain open questions. The definitive human toll will be communicated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, according to DH Net.