Serious fire in car dealer’s warehouse in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw: building collapsed | Saint Peters Lion

A raging industrial fire raged in Jan Baptist Wautersstraat on Thursday afternoon. The fire started at a company that dismantles cars. A plume of black smoke could be seen from miles away. The fire brigade had to extinguish the fire from 4 to 5.30 p.m. “The flames went through the roof for a while,” said Wouter Jeanfils of the Flemish Brabant West fire zone. “Both the building where the fire started and the second building have been completely destroyed.” Other buildings have been spared from damage.

“The fire is said to have started during grinding works,” says Mayor Jan Desmeth (N-VA). “Something might have gone wrong with the fuel that was still in the tank. The manager first tried to extinguish the fire himself, but that was impossible.” According to the operator, all employees were able to leave the building in time. The fire brigade has yet to confirm this, but cannot yet enter the building due to the risk of collapse. “The manager was taken to hospital because he inhaled a lot of smoke,” the mayor continues. “The flames spread from one building to an adjacent building. There was an explosion there, which caused the building to collapse. The municipal disaster plan was announced.”

The fire had been under control since 5:35 p.m., but the fire brigade continued to extinguish it for quite some time. Later in the evening, civil protection took measurements. No toxic substances were detected, but local residents in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Ruisbroek, Anderlecht, Vorst and Drogenbos were asked to keep windows and doors closed for the time being. “It is possible that local residents may find fire remains, such as insulation material, in their garden,” says Mayor Jan Desmeth. “It is best to wear gloves when cleaning up. All fire residues may be disposed of with residual waste.”

The municipal emergency plan was lifted again from 8 p.m. The fire brigade and civil protection remained on site for a while to deal with the situation.

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