Exploded barbecue causes intense fire and black smoke plume in Antwerp (Borgerhout)

A short but serious fire raged on a terrace of a house in Borgerhout on Thursday. The fire was accompanied by a thick plume of smoke that was visible from far away. No one was injured. An exploded barbecue was the cause of the fire.

The fire broke out around 5 p.m. in a building in Kroonstraat and, according to local residents, was accompanied by a loud bang. A thick plume of black smoke immediately arose, which was visible far into the city.

The Antwerp Zone Fire Department immediately arrived on site with several teams to tackle the fire and quickly brought the fire under control. The cause of the fire was due to a barbecue on a covered terrace that exploded for an unclear reason. No one was injured.

“We will remain on site with a few teams to ventilate and check whether everything is safe,” says spokesperson Ninke Neirynck of the Antwerp Fire Department Zone. The fire brigade advised local residents to keep windows and doors closed and to switch off ventilation. During the fire brigade intervention, Kroonstraat and Van Daelstraat in Borgerhout were closed to all traffic.