A flat used as a holiday let in the West Flemish coastal resort of Bredene has sustained serious fire damage after a improvised chip pan caught fire. As there was no deep fat fryer in the kitchen of the flat the German tourists that were staying there decided to put some cooking oil into a pan and fry their chips that way. However, things when badly wrong when a flame shot up out of the pan soon fire had engulfed the flat that is on the 9th floor of a large block on the Kapelstraat in Bredene.
Flat fire in Bredene after German tourists attempt to fry chips in an improvised chip pan
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The Mayor of Bredene Alain Lynneel (socialist) told VRT News that 2 young German women were holidaying at the flat. They wanted chips but there was no deep fat fryer. So, they decided to put some oil into a pan and fry them that way. "But of course that is life-threateningly dangerous".
80 people evacuated
The fire service evacuated 80 people from the block and from 2 other buildings. 2 people with mobility issues were allowed to remain in their flats with fire fighters. The flat where the fire started was completely gutted. The studio flat underneath it has sustained serious water and smoke damage.
One of the women had to go to hospital for a check-up as she had inhaled a lot of smoke. Her friend was able to wait for her at Bredene police station. Mayor Lynneel told VRT News "Fortunately, the fire was on the 9th floor as this made it more difficult for the fire to spread”.