Gas-cylinder explosion sets three garden sheds ablaze in Hasselt

Updated 17 August 2026 — Emergency crews responded in Hasselt on Monday after an exploding gas cylinder set three garden sheds on fire, according to a report by Het Nieuwsblad. The fire produced a large column of black smoke above the city and led authorities to close part of the affected street while firefighters worked at the scene.

Het Nieuwsblad reported that the incident began as a fire in a garden shed before flames spread to two neighbouring sheds. Its account identified an exploded gas cylinder as the cause of the rapid escalation. The precise time and street were not available in the accessible reporting reviewed by Belgium Pulse.

No injuries were reported in the initial account. That remains a provisional status: neither the South-West Limburg emergency zone nor Limburg Regio Hoofdstad police had published a publicly accessible incident statement confirming casualties, damage or the completion of firefighting operations when this article was prepared.

The visible smoke plume drew attention well beyond the immediate site, but its size alone does not establish that hazardous substances were present. Belgium Pulse found no official instruction telling residents to close windows or avoid the wider area. People near any active fire should follow directions issued at the scene and leave access routes clear for emergency vehicles.

The incident falls within the operating area of the South-West Limburg emergency zone. The zone’s official website says its Hasselt fire station serves Hasselt and several surrounding municipalities, including Alken, Diepenbeek, Zonhoven and Wellen. The same service provides specialist advice on fire prevention and the storage of hazardous materials, although it has not publicly linked that guidance to Monday’s fire.

The immediate impact appears local: damage to three garden structures and a temporary traffic restriction. The full value of the losses, whether nearby homes were affected and whether investigators have formally established why the cylinder exploded remain unknown.

Further information is expected from the emergency services or local police if the incident requires a formal investigation. The points to watch are confirmation that the fire is fully extinguished, the reopening of the street and any revised assessment of injuries or property damage.