Belgium Firefighter Killed Battling Hotel Fire

Brussel firefighter Sergeant-Major Jean-François Spelmans, was killed when an escalator collapsed crushing him while fighting a fire in the Sheraton Hotel on Place Charles Rogier.

Firefighters were called to the Sheraton Hotel in Brussels around 3:30 a.m., for fire in an area of the hotel undergoing renovations, according to a Facebook post by the Brussels Fire Department.

While fighting the fire, the escalator collapsed trapping the firefighter. Despite the efforts to free him from the rubble, the firefighter succumbed to his injuries.

In a Facebook post the Brussels Fire Department said, “We are shocked, all our thoughts are already with the family and loved ones.”

Sergeant-Major Jean-François Spelmans was born on August 10, 1972, he joined the ranks of the Brussels Fire Brigade in 1999. He served in the 11^th company stationed at the Heliport barracks. 

Four people were hospitalized as a result of the fire, over 300 customers had to be evacuated overnight.