A devastating fire broke out on Wednesday night at the Maison du Bois event venue in the Brussels municipality of Etterbeek, reducing the well-known site to ashes. The blaze began shortly after 23:00 beneath solar panels installed on the wooden roof of the 1,100-square-metre building, which sits near the Arsenal tram stop on the border with Auderghem.
The Brussels fire department confirmed that despite rapid deployment, the venue was completely destroyed. Operated by the Choux de Bruxelles group, Maison du Bois had long been a popular destination for events, conferences, and cultural gatherings.
Emergency services were inundated with calls shortly after flames were first spotted. In response, three turntable ladders, four fire engines, and a tanker truck were dispatched. Firefighters faced immediate danger as the wooden roof risked collapse, forcing them to initially fight the inferno exclusively from outside.
Elevated platforms were used as towers to spray water onto the burning structure from above.
The intensity of the fire generated a massive cloud of smoke that spread across the city, with reports of disruptions reaching Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. Authorities quickly issued a BeAlert warning urging residents to close windows and doors to protect against smoke inhalation.
By 01:30, firefighters cautiously entered the building to tackle the remaining hotspots from within. Additional support arrived in the form of a Civil Protection crane, which created openings in the roof, allowing the fire crews to target the most persistent flames.
It wasn’t until around 03:00 that the fire was declared fully extinguished. However, the cleanup operation was extensive, and the last fire truck did not depart the scene until approximately 07:30.
Officials confirmed that monitoring of the site would continue throughout the morning to ensure no reignition occurred.
The scale of the response highlights the severity of the blaze. Firefighters worked through the night in difficult conditions, while local residents endured hours of uncertainty. No injuries were reported, but the destruction of the building is a major loss for Etterbeek and the wider Brussels community.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Preliminary reports suggest it began beneath the solar panels installed on the roof, but experts will now examine whether technical faults, electrical issues, or other factors triggered the blaze.
The Maison du Bois, meaning “House of Wood,” was known for its spacious wooden architecture and versatile event space. Its destruction marks a significant cultural and social loss for the area.
The Choux de Bruxelles group, which operates multiple venues across the capital, has not yet commented on the incident but is expected to release a statement in the coming days.
For now, Brussels residents are left with the memory of a dramatic night marked by flames, smoke, and the loss of one of the city’s unique event landmarks.
