Two dead, eight injured in overnight Schaerbeek apartment fire; cause under investigation

Fire and rescue

A fire broke out in the common stairwell of a multi-unit building on Haachtsesteenweg, in the Brussels municipality of Schaerbeek, during the night of Saturday to Sunday, July 25 to 26, 2026. The building contains several separate dwellings that share a common entrance and multiple internal staircases. The flames raged in the common parts of the most remote stairwell. Because the doors and windows of an apartment on the third floor were left open, smoke was able to penetrate the apartment.

When the first emergency crews arrived on the scene, smoke had already spread across the street. Firefighters found four people unconscious inside the third-floor apartment. They evacuated the victims down the stairs to the second floor, then used a turntable ladder truck to carry them out of the building and hand them over to urgent medical teams. The fire was finally extinguished at around 3:10 a.m. on Sunday.

Casualties

Fire department spokesperson Walter Derieuw described the human toll as “particularly heavy.” Two people lost their lives in the blaze. At least eight others were injured, two of them seriously, he told reporters Sunday morning. De Standaard reported a total of ten people wounded, with eight sustaining minor injuries. The four rescued from the third floor were unconscious at the time of their evacuation. The injured were transported to hospital, but the severity of the two seriously hurt individuals was not specified beyond their critical condition.

“The human toll is particularly heavy.”

Investigation

The exact cause of the fire is not yet known. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has been informed and a crime lab was dispatched to the site. An investigation is underway. No further information about the source of the flames or possible accelerants has been released.

Community response

Schaerbeek municipality mobilized its services to assist those affected. The majority of the evacuated residents were taken to the communal house (town hall) of Schaerbeek, where a reception centre was set up in cooperation with the Red Cross. A STIB bus transported the residents to the facility, and victim support services were activated to provide psychosocial assistance. The municipality also made temporary housing available where needed.

Mayor Martin de Brabant issued a statement conveying condolences and promising full support.

“Our first thoughts go out to the deceased victims, their loved ones, and all residents affected by this tragic fire. The municipality and emergency services are joining forces to provide everyone with the necessary medical, psychosocial and practical support.”