One person has been hospitalised Sunday morning after a fire, “possibly of criminal origin,” broke out in a house in Ixelles, Brussels, police reports.
Police were alerted to an explosion at Rue Marie Henriette 66 in Ixelles around 7:45 a.m. Several police patrols and firefighters were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, emergency services found the house and a nearby vehicle engulfed in flames.
A security perimeter was established to facilitate the firefighters’ efforts, and several residents were evacuated as a precaution.
Firefighters managed to rescue a person from the burning house. This individual, who suffered minor smoke inhalation injuries, was taken to hospital and is not in a life-threatening condition. Another vehicle nearby was also completely destroyed by the fire.
Preliminary observations by firefighters suggest the blaze could be of criminal origin. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has been informed, and experts from the federal police laboratory and a fire expert are on-site to investigate further, according to police.
The exact circumstances and causes of the incident remain unknown and are under investigation. The public prosecutor will provide more information later in the day.
