Fire in the former residence of Emile Bockstael in Laeken

No injuries were reported, but the roof and cornice of the building were badly damaged, reported the Brussels firefighters.

And fire declared Wednesday evening in a listed building on Avenue de la Reine, in Laeken (Brussels).

It is the former residence of Emile Bockstael, last mayor of Laeken between 1877 and his death in 1920. The four-story neoclassical building houses an art gallery and renovation work is underway. “Shortly before 6 p.m., a fire broke out at a skylight and spread to the cornice”declared Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the fire brigade. “We were able to put out the fire quickly, but a lot of things were broken to prevent a flare-up. Then everything was covered again, so our staff stayed there for a while.” “When thefire declared, there was no one in the building and the resident arrived during the extinguishing work”, continues the spokesperson. “There were no injuries”.

L’fire is of accidental origin, according to firefighters.

Belga – Photo: Brussels firefighters