This year, 75 Belgians, including five minors, died in a house fire, 25 more than in 2021, according to figures published on Tuesday by the ASBL Oscare, a center for monitoring and research on treatments for burn victims.
The majority of these deaths took place in Wallonia. Forty-one people perished there by the flames, once morest 23 last year. This significant increase can be attributed to the more intensive use of open fires and space heaters due to the current energy crisis, notes the association’s spokesperson and prevention expert Peter Van Rossum. In December alone, 14 deaths in a house fire were recorded in the south of the country. Brussels deplores nine fatal victims, once morest six last year. Marc Gilbert, colonel of firefighters in the Val de Sambre area, at the microphone of RTL INFO 7 p.m.: “We burn fir trees, pallets recovered from supermarkets, (etc) because financially, it is not always easy. We burn everything and anything like an old cupboard coated with paint, varnish or other.”
The majority of the victims perished at night
Flanders, for its part, counts 25 deaths, four more than in 2021. If we break down these figures by province, it is once once more Hainaut which deplores the most losses of this type (18), followed by of Liège (13) and Antwerp (11). The majority of the victims perished at night, usually at weekends. “Many of these domestic fires might be avoided”, underlines the ASBL, recalling the use of smoke detectors, which is compulsory. Placing one of these devices in the bedroom can also prove useful, advises the association. The annual number of deaths in domestic fires has fluctuated in recent years between 50 (in 2021) and 78 (in 2016).
