Belgium records a sharp decline in fatal house fires in 2025, a national report shows
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Belgium registered 55 deaths in fatal house fires in 2025, a sharp decline from the 75 fatalities recorded in 2024, according to the annual national report released Monday by Oscare, the Flemish burn‑treatment research centre that compiles the country’s fire‑fatality statistics.
The findings — published on 29 December and widely reported across Belgian media — show that around 50 deadly residential fires occurred nationwide this year. Flanders accounted for 28 deaths, Wallonia for 24, and the Brussels Region for three, Oscare said.
The victims ranged from an 18‑month‑old child in Denderleeuw to an 88‑year‑old resident of Couillet, highlighting the broad demographic impact of domestic fires across the country.
Oscare attributed the significant year‑on‑year decline to mandatory smoke‑detector installation in Brussels, which became fully enforced in 2025, and to the ongoing renovation of older housing stock, which often includes replacing outdated electrical systems. The organisation said these policy measures appear to be reducing risk in the most vulnerable homes.
According to Brussels Today, since 1 January 2025, smoke detectors have been mandatory in all Brussels homes, including owner‑occupied private residences. This measure already appears to be yielding results in reducing deaths linked to domestic fires.
Although the report does not provide a full breakdown of ignition causes, Oscare noted that short circuits, kitchen incidents, and a seasonal rise in chimney fires remain among the most common triggers of fatal residential blazes.
The data also show that night‑time fires remain the deadliest, with 25 of the 55 victims dying in incidents that occurred while occupants were asleep. Oscare stressed that this underscores the life‑saving importance of functioning smoke detectors, noting that “when asleep, a person’s sense of smell is inactive, leaving the smoke detector to alert them”.
Oscare has tracked fatal house‑fire statistics for roughly a decade using press reports and publicly available information. The highest annual toll in recent years was 78 deaths in 2016, while the lowest was 50 in 2021.
The 2025 report sparked broad discussion in Belgian media and among policymakers, as it provides a comprehensive annual snapshot of residential fire risk — and a rare indication that prevention measures may be having measurable impact.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License
Belgian fire vehicle and crew
Date: 4 January 2018
Author: Dickelbers
Further Reading:
https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium-news/1898161/number-of-fatal-house-fires-falls-in-belgium
https://www.bruxellestoday.be/faits-divers/bruxelles-victimes-incendie-2025.html
https://www.oscare.be/nl/fatale-woningbranden/?utm_source=copilot.com