Around 100 people evacuated due to fire near to Brussels North Station
Around 100 people were evacuated from their homes and businesses in the North District of Brussels on Saturday evening. The reason for the evacuation was a large fire in the Roeiersstraat in the municipality of Schaarbeek. Those that were evacuated were given shelter inside Brussels North Railway Station until it was safe for them to return to their homes at around 2am on Sunday morning.
It was at around 10:40pm on Saturday evening that the Fire Service received reports of smoke coming from a building that houses a vehicle body repair shop on the Roeiersstraat. On their arrival fire fighters saw that the blaze had already caused severe damage to the building.
"Five fire engines, a tanker vehicle, five ladder truckers and 51 fire fighter went to the scene to tackle the blaze” Walter Derieuw of the Brussels Fire Service told the Brussels regional news platform Bruzz.
At around 2am those that had been evacuated from their homes were allowed to return in small groups. They were escorted back home by the Red Cross. The Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close (Francophone socialist) went to the scene to offer his support to those that had been evacuated from their homes and to thank the members of the emergency services.