A member of the public jumped to safety after fire engulfed his flat in the seaside resort of Ostend on Monday afternoon. To escape from the fire the 35-year-old jumped from his own roof onto that of a neighbour. Fire-fighters were then able to rescue him from that roof. The Ostender was rushed to the national burns centre in Neder-over-Heembeek (City of Brussels), where he received treatment for severe burns to the face and arms. Three other residents sustained minor injuries, but also required hospital treatment.
It was around 3PM that the Ostend fire department was alerted to the blaze in the Kaaistraat in the Ostend Old Town. "When we arrived, it was pretty serious” confirms fire captain Dirk Maertens. "Fortunately, we were able to extinguish the fire fairly quickly without entering the flat."
Meanwhile, firefighters also received reports about a resident who had fled to the roof. "We were able to take the man off the roof, but he had suffered bad burns to his face and arms. He was immediately rushed to the hospital."
His daughter, who was in the building at the time of the fire, was also taken to hospital with burns. "Two other residents inhaled a lot of smoke. In total 4 people were injured and taken to hospital. Three of them were soon allowed to leave, but the man with the worst injuries was taken to the burns centre in Neder-over-Heembeek."
Jump at a height of 15 meters
"I was cooking when I saw the fire from my kitchen window," says neighbour Stefaan Kerger, the man who took the video footage. "I saw that there was a man on the roof and then I didn't hesitate. I immediately called the emergency services."
"The man first lay down; he seemed to be injured. Then there were loud bangs from the house. He stood up again and then I saw him hesitate before eventually jumping to safety. It was quite a jump, at a height of some 15 meters. I'm so glad he's in safety."
Did lighter fuel cause the blaze?
The resident probably triggered the fire himself. "He mentioned that he was filling lighters from gas canisters," fire officer Maertens adds. "There must have been a flashover that ignited the entire apartment. The 2 flats on lower storeys are also uninhabitable."
Several local residents were evacuated to a nearby community centre as a precaution.