Resident (35) trapped in the attic during a house fire: victim in life-threatening condition taken to hospital (Brasschaat)

A 35-year-old resident suffered life-threatening injuries during a house fire on the Rochuslei in Brasschaat. The woman was trapped in the attic room by the fire. The fire brigade was able to free her with a ladder truck. The victim was taken to hospital with burns. A neighbor who came to help also became slightly overcome by the smoke.

It was an observant neighbor who first noticed the fire and notified the emergency services around 7:30 p.m. The man saw smoke coming from the attic of the house on Rochuslei. When the fire brigade teams from Kapellen and Brasschaat stations arrived, there was already a fire in the house.

“The resident became trapped in the attic room due to the fire in the hall,” says Tina Boënne, spokesperson for the Rand Fire Department. “A neighbor tried to help the woman by placing an extension ladder against the facade. Ultimately, our teams were able to use the ladder truck to rescue the resident from her home.”

The woman was taken to Cadix hospital with severe smoke intoxication and burns. Her condition is critical and her life is in danger. “The neighbor who came to help also became slightly overcome by the smoke and was taken to hospital as a precaution,” says Boënne.

The fire is now under control and the fire brigade is still working to illuminate the house. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The fire is said to have started on the top floor of the home. The police will contact the public prosecutor’s office. A fire expert will probably be appointed this evening and the judicial laboratory will arrive on site for trace investigation.