Fire destroys half of abandoned sports canteen in Molenbeek

A fire destroyed about half of an abandoned sports-ground canteen on Avenue Mahatma Gandhi in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean shortly after midnight on Sunday, 6 September, according to Brussels Fire Brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw. Firefighters brought the blaze under control, and no injuries were reported.

The Brussels Fire Brigade received the call at around 00:45, Derieuw told L’Avenir. Initial findings indicate that the fire began outside near a sofa before spreading into the former canteen. Although every entrance to the disused building had been sealed, the flames reached its interior, L’Avenir reported.

About half of the structure was severely damaged and part of the roof collapsed during the fire, according to Derieuw’s account. La Dernière Heure and Le Soir also reported extensive damage to the abandoned building. The collapse increases the importance of keeping the site secured while its structural condition is assessed.

The fire was extinguished without any reported casualties, according to L’Avenir and a Belga report published by Het Nieuwsblad. Neither the reports nor the publicly accessible Brussels Fire Brigade information indicated that neighbouring homes required evacuation or that anyone needed medical treatment.

Investigators have not established the precise cause. The reported location of the first flames near an outdoor sofa describes where the fire appears to have started; it does not establish whether the ignition was accidental or deliberate. No suspect or responsible party had been identified in the available reporting as of this update.

For residents, the immediate consequence is a badly damaged and partly collapsed structure beside a local sports site. Responsibility for securing the building, assessing the remaining roof and deciding whether the ruins should be demolished or repaired was not specified in the initial reports.

The incident also illustrates the practical fire risk posed by unused premises even when their entrances have been closed. Brussels Fire Brigade guidance says damaged buildings should not be re-entered until emergency services consider them safe and the cause has been examined.

The next verified developments should come from the fire investigation and from the authority or owner responsible for the site. Questions remain about the building’s structural stability, its future and how the outdoor fire began. Until officials provide those answers, the confirmed picture is limited: extensive property damage, a partial roof collapse and no injuries.