On Monday morning, there was a fire in a warehouse located on Place Albert 1er near the neutral mutuality’s premises, which resulted in firefighters from the Vesdre-Hoëgne & Plateau area being called to the scene. The warehouse contained four collector cars, including a Subaru, a Ford RS 200, an RS Cosworth, and a Porsche 911 Turbo S. The warehouse owner, who drove the Porsche that morning, expressed confusion about the cause of the fire and lamented the loss of his collector cars, which hold great personal value. A neighbor walking her dog was the first to notice the fire and call for help when she saw smoke coming from the warehouse. While the firefighters were able to contain the fire quickly, the damage was already done. The cause of the fire remains unclear. The street was closed for two hours while firefighters worked to put out the fire. In a separate incident, firefighters were also called to a roof fire on rue de Vernantes, though no casualties were reported.
Monday at 11:55 a.m., firefighters from the Vesdre-Hoëgne & Plateau area were called for a fire that broke out on Place Albert 1er, in a perpendicular alley next to the premises of the neutral mutuality. The subject of the appeal concerned a fire in a warehouse which housed four collector cars: a Subaru, a Ford RS 200, RS Cosworth and a Porsche 911 Turbo S.
“I drove the Porsche this morning but I always let it cool before returning, I don’t understand”says the distraught warehouse owner. “It was a neighbor who, while walking her dog, called the fire department. Her dog was barking at the shed, we went to see and at that time, it was barely smoking. Last Saturday, we were still with the Cub Scouts in the garage to take an unusual photo with German helmets that are in the hangar. I don’t realize. It’s not so much for the financial cost, they are collector’s items that I won’t find again”.
On the side of the firefighters, they say they do not know the cause of the fire. “We were twenty firefighters on site: two pumpers, a truck with a ladder, two tank trucks and an officer. The fire was relatively quickly brought under control but the disaster was total”says Major Frédérique Vaassen.
The street linking Place Nicolaï and Place Albert 1er was closed to traffic for about two hours to allow firefighters to control the fire.
“Rather, our men intervened rue de Vernantes for a roof fire”, adds Major Frédérique Vaassen of the VHP relief area. Eighteen firefighters went to the scene, the fire did not cause any casualties.
The loss of collector cars in the fire on Place Albert 1er is a devastating blow for the warehouse owner. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but the quick response of firefighters helped prevent any casualties. As the investigation continues, we can only hope for some answers and a path towards rebuilding what was lost.