Chip shop fire in Vilvoorde investigated as possible arson

Vilvoorde (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Soussi who owns ‘t Abeeltje chip shop was upset to hear that his shop caught fire, likely due to arson. Investigators are looking into what happened.

Soussi who owns the chip shop ‘t Abeeltje on Abeelstraat got a call around 4 a.m. On 9^th August Thursday night with terrible news. His chip shop was on fire and he was shocked and couldn’t believe it. He felt really upset and worried about the damage to his business. After Soussi got the call about the fire lots of people called him to ask about what happened and to help. Even though many cared about him he didn’t know all the details about the fire or how bad it was. With the shocking news and constant calls it all became too much for him to handle.

What caused the fire at ‘t Abeeltje chip shop in Vilvoorde?

When the firefighters got to the chip shop it was already on fire and the flames were quickly spreading. They thought someone might have started the fire on purpose and told the public prosecutor’s office. Sabine Lievens from the public prosecutor’s office said their first look into it showed signs that someone intentionally caused the fire. The door of the chip shop was forced open and there were signs that flammable things were used to make the fire worse. They found evidence of at least two different places where the fire started making them think it was arson. Nobody got hurt in the fire. Some people living nearby moved their cars quickly to keep them safe from the fire. The firefighters acted fast and the residents reacted quickly which stopped the situation from getting worse. The public prosecutor’s office is still looking into everything to find out exactly what happened and to figure out who started the fire on purpose.

Soussi who had just gone on vacation felt really upset and scared when they found out about the fire at their chip shop. They said it was “awful” and “too much to handle” especially because they can’t be there in person to deal with the problem. The thought that someone might have started the fire on purpose made them even more worried. The police are looking into what happened at the chip shop. They haven’t found any suspects or caught anyone so they’re still investigating to figure out who started the fire on purpose.