Apartment Fire Causes Significant Damage in Molenbeek
A fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning in Molenbeek, leaving an apartment uninhabitable and one person hospitalized.
The fire, which broke out around 4 a.m. on Rue de la Belle au Bois Dormant, required a major response with three pumpers and two ladder trucks responding to the scene. The blaze was contained to the fourth floor apartment.
"When we arrived at the scene, the residents were safe and sound," fire officials reported.
However, the apartment building sustained severe damage. No smoke detector was found in the unit. Electricity to the entire building was cut off for safety reasons.
“The origin of the fire remains to be determined,” said fire officials.
The Brussels West Police Zone and municipal services are taking charge of housing affected residents.
</r-article></r-tags>
* Does the guest’s statement about the lack of safety measures in older buildings in Molenbeek align with the NFPA’s recommendations for home safety? [[1](https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/safety-tip-sheets)]
**Host:** Joining us now is Alex Reed, a community leader here in Molenbeek. This recent apartment fire has left many residents shaken, and understandably so. What are your thoughts on what happened, Alex Reed?
**Alex Reed:**
It’s always heartbreaking to see any fire, especially one that causes so much damage and displaces families. Our hearts go out to those affected, and we’re grateful no one was seriously hurt. However, this incident also raises concerns. This building, like many in Molenbeek, is older and lacking basic safety measures like smoke detectors. How many more tragedies will it take before those issues are addressed?
**Host:** Many might say that Molenbeek constantly appears in the news for troubling events, do you think this fire reinforces negative perceptions about this neighborhood?
