Brussels firefighter dies during blaze at former Sheraton hotel

Updated 16 March 2022, 18:00 CET — BRUSSELS. A 49-year-old Brussels firefighter died early Wednesday after a collapsing escalator trapped him during a fire at the former Sheraton hotel on Place Rogier. Brussels Fire Brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw told VRT NWS that colleagues freed the firefighter as quickly as possible, but he died from his injuries.

The fire brigade received the call at about 03:30 for a blaze in a technical shaft on the ground floor of the building, which was undergoing renovation, according to Belgium’s Civil Security directorate. The Brussels Times, citing Belga, reported that the escalator collapsed during firefighting operations at about 05:00. The affected crew was relieved immediately, BRUZZ reported.

Smoke from the fire forced the evacuation of about 300 people from Rogier metro station, according to The Brussels Times. Public transport services through the area faced disruption while emergency workers established a safety perimeter. BRUZZ reported that the fire briefly flared again before firefighters fully extinguished it at around 13:00.

Federal Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden and Brussels Public Service Minister Sven Gatz visited the fire brigade on Wednesday afternoon to offer condolences, according to BRUZZ. Laura Szabo, chair of the Federal Public Service Interior, joined them. Brussels state secretary Pascal Smet, whose responsibilities included firefighting and emergency medical assistance, said he would shorten an official trip to France and return to stand alongside the brigade.

The death prompted calls for the circumstances to be established quickly and for operational lessons to follow. That process rests with investigators, not political statements. BRUZZ reported that the Brussels public prosecutor opened an inquiry into the origin and circumstances of the fire, while the labour auditor investigated the firefighter’s death. Structural instability initially prevented an expert from entering the building, leaving the precise cause unresolved that evening.

A later learning review commissioned through the Federal Knowledge Centre for Civil Security and led by Ghent University examined the intervention, the escalator failure and possible improvements to training and procedures. Civil Security says the review was designed to learn from the incident rather than assess individual tactical decisions. The immediate priorities remained supporting the firefighter’s family and colleagues, securing the former hotel and preserving evidence for the investigations.