Emergency services extinguished a minor underground fire on Monday outside Brussels’ Europa building, the primary venue for summits of European Union leaders, according to Euractiv.
The incident occurred near the structure housing the European Council and Council of the EU.
Ambulances, fire fighters, and police officers arrived at the scene shortly before midday after electrical cables caught fire, emitting noticeable smoke. Curious diplomats observed the response, asking each other about the incident’s cause.
Construction work is currently underway to pedestrianise the area surrounding the EU quarter. However, a fire fighter clarified that workers were not present in the immediate vicinity when the fire ignited.
Representatives from the gas and electricity company Sibelga were summoned to the location due to the involvement of a high voltage cable. Emergency personnel worked to contain the blaze, with one firefighter commenting on the unusual nature of the incident as the team sprayed foam onto the affected cables.
It’s not usual that it’s smoking like that.
As a precautionary measure, an entrance to the nearby Schuman metro station was temporarily closed. The fire was successfully brought under control.
