Fire-safe at homeSadly, that is still a very high number. Looking at the provinces, West Flanders (11) had the most fatalities. In Luxembourg, we mourn 1 victim of a fatal house fire.
The first incident took place on 4 January 2025 in Braine-le-Château, where Thierry lost his life. The cause of the fierce house fire is still unknown.
The last incident took place on 29 December 2025. A man (83) died in hospital from injuries sustained in a fire at his home in Pittem. Here too, the cause is not yet known. Collecting data is crucial for prevention.
Of the fatal house fires, the youngest victim, Rachel (18 months), died in a fire in her bedroom in Denderleeuw. The oldest victim, Lou, was 88 and died in a flat fire on 8 September 2025 in Hasselt.
Victims of house fires in 2025
Download your copy of our infographic ‘Fatal house fires 2025’ from our download centre, or let us know if you have any questions or comments.
Why statistics and fire investigation matter
Statistics are the starting point for targeted work on fire safety. After all, you can’t launch campaigns or awareness-raising initiatives if you don’t know where fires happen, how they start and who the victims are. All known cases of suicide and murder have been removed from the figures above. Houses, studios, rooms, hotels and care homes are included in these figures – in other words, all places that can be considered a home or place of residence.
Together towards greater fire safety!
Leef Brandveilig
On LeefBrandveilig!, you’ll find every fire safety topic in and around the home, presented through everyday, recognisable situations. The website can be seen as a toolbox for everyone: children, young people, families, senior citizens and teachers. Even for fire brigades and their fire prevention advisers.
The common thread running through the campaigns is the Van Vlam family. This family, who live very fire-safely and set a good example, are deliberately used to promote fire-safe living and share prevention tips, with a focus on the importance of smoke alarms and an escape plan. The Van Vlam family is made up of grandparents, parents, (grand)children and a pet. The idea is to raise fire safety topics and share fire safety messages through a range of situations and events.
Go to www.leefbrandveilig.be and discover their story.
Author, source and illustrations: Peter Van Rossum – peter.van.rossum@oscare.be – 0478 65 44 03