A fire broke out on Friday morning in a ground-floor flat on Rue du Rwanda in Etterbeek, but rendering it uninhabitable. One person was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene.
The fire was first noticed around 06:15 by smoke drifting from beneath a garage door, according to fire brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw.
"The garage door, which opened onto Rue des Coquelicots, was cut open with a chainsaw to gain access, revealing the fire had started in a room between the garage and a children’s room."
Fortunately, the children had already left the room and were safely evacuated along with their parents and two dogs. The father suffered smoke inhalation but declined hospital treatment, opting to be cared for at the scene.
"We also rescued two rabbits and a chihuahua from the flat," the spokesperson added.
"The affected flat is uninhabitable, and the family is being cared for by relatives. We ventilated and checked the flat above for CO presence before declaring it safe, and inspections confirmed the adjacent homes were unharmed."
The fire was caused accidentally, confirmed the fire brigade.
