Figures from the burns’ aftercare and research centre Oscare show that last year 63 people died in 49 domestic fires in Belgium. The largest number of domestic fire fatalities (15) was in Liège Province. With 1 fatality each Flemish Brabant and West Flanders were the provinces with the lowest number of house fire deaths.
The first domestic fire fatalities of 2023 were on 4 January when a woman in her 80s and her carer died in a house fire in Kersksen (East Flanders). The last fatality was in the early hours of Christmas Day when a man in his 60s died in a fire in his home in Erquelinnes (Hainaut Province).
During the past 10 years there have been at least 548 domestic fires that have resulted in a total of 636 deaths.
Oscare calls for a national campaign to make people aware of the dangers of fire breaking out in their homes.