Blaze in Ostend: Illir Devck Saves Man from 4th-Floor Apartment

Ostend (Eurotoday): A fire broke out on 28 November at 5 p.m. in an apartment on the 4th floor of Troonstraat, Ostend. Resident Illir Devyck rescued a resident, who suffered burns and was hospitalized. The cause is under investigation.

On 28 November a fire started in an apartment on the 4th floor of Troonstraat in Ostend at around 5 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they saw flames and knew it was serious. They used a ladder truck to stop the fire from outside while getting ready to go inside. The firefighters worked quickly and managed to control the fire soon.

What prompted Illir Devyck to enter the burning apartment in Ostend?  

Illir Devyck saw a fire and immediately ran into the burning apartment. He explained, “I lived nearby and knew it was serious.” Inside, he struggled with zero visibility due to the flames. He found the resident on the ground, grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the exit. Once outside, he carried the man on his shoulder down the stairs.

Emergency services rescued that man. The fire captain said, “A resident and a firefighter in plain clothes saved him from the flames.” The man was taken to the hospital because his face and hands were burned. The apartment was destroyed, and the outside of the building was damaged too. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and an investigation will look into it. Troonstraat was closed to traffic going to Middelkerke, but the trams were still moving slowly.