Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West is the fire and ambulance service for 31 municipalities in the west of Flemish Brabant, a ring around Brussels from Londerzeel and Vilvoorde to Halle and the Pajottenland: 639,867 residents on about 879 km². About 600 firefighters work from nine posts. Seven have career crews on duty 24/7; Opwijk and Tollembeek are volunteer posts. The zone covers Brussels Airport, most of the Brussels Ring and several upper-tier Seveso sites. In 2020, the latest year published, it handled 34,157 calls, 19,903 of them for ambulances. In an emergency, dial 112.
Zone headquarters (non-emergency)
+32 2 451 49 11- info@zvbw.be
- Zone house (zonehuis), Laan I 57, 1770 Liedekerke, Belgium
- vlaamsbrabantwest.be
- Office hours: Not published
Who Provides Fire Protection in Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West
Since 2015, Belgian fire services are organized in rescue zones (hulpverleningszones) run by their member municipalities. Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West covers 31, almost all of the Flemish ring around Brussels:
- North: Grimbergen, Kapelle-op-den-Bos, Londerzeel, Meise, Merchtem, Opwijk, Vilvoorde, Wemmel, Zemst.
- East: Kortenberg, Kraainem, Machelen, Steenokkerzeel, Wezembeek-Oppem, Zaventem.
- West: Affligem, Asse, Dilbeek, Lennik, Liedekerke, Roosdaal, Ternat.
- South: Beersel, Bever, Drogenbos, Halle, Linkebeek, Pajottegem, Pepingen, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.
Pajottegem is new. It was formed on January 1, 2025 from Galmaarden, Gooik and Herne, which cut the zone from 33 to 31 municipalities. The federal list of rescue zones (April 2026) names all 31.
The zone is a mixed service of career (beroeps) and volunteer (vrijwillige) firefighters, about 600 in all, and also runs ambulances. Seven posts have a career crew on duty around the clock. Dial 112 for any emergency.
Fire Posts in Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West
| Post | Type | Location | Specialist teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Asse | Career 24/7 | Asphaltcosite 110, 1730 Asse | Hazmat |
| Post Dilbeek | Career 24/7 | Oudesmidsestraat 38A, 1700 Dilbeek | Not published |
| Post Halle | Career 24/7 | Vanhamstraat 1, 1501 Buizingen (Halle) | Divers, rope rescue (GRIMP) |
| Post Lennik | Career 24/7 | Assesteenweg 244, 1750 Lennik | Not published |
| Post Londerzeel | Career 24/7 | Brandweerplein 1, 1840 Londerzeel | Divers |
| Post Opwijk | Volunteer | Heiveld 13A, 1745 Opwijk | Not published |
| Post Tollembeek | Volunteer | Hernestraat 51, 1570 Tollembeek (Pajottegem) | Not published |
| Post Vilvoorde | Career 24/7 | Rondeweg 32, 1800 Vilvoorde | Divers, hazmat, rail accidents |
| Post Zaventem | Career 24/7 | Leuvensesteenweg 550, 1930 Nossegem (Zaventem) | Hazmat, rope rescue (GRIMP), rail accidents |
Posts have no public phone numbers. Street addresses come from OpenStreetMap, because the zone website was offline when we checked. The zone house in Liedekerke is an office, not a fire post. Dial 112 for emergencies.
Estimated Response Time
Nine posts share about 879 km², so the average distance to the nearest post is roughly 5.6 km (3.5 mi). With about 730 residents per km² and a mixed career/volunteer service, the zone uses the suburban/combination column of our baseline table. Opwijk and Tollembeek get the volunteer column, because volunteers must first reach the post. Traffic on the Brussels Ring and the radial roads into Brussels can add minutes at peak hours.
| Radius | Combination (zone) | Opwijk, Tollembeek (volunteer) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 2.4 km | 5–8 min | 8–12 min |
| 2.4–4.8 km | 7–10 min | 10–14 min |
| 4.8–9.7 km | 9–13 min | 12–18 min |
| > 9.7 km | 13+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 9–13 minutes for most addresses, faster close to the seven career posts, and 12–18 minutes in the rural Pajottenland and around Opwijk. The zone does not publish an average arrival time.
Estimated Fire Control Time
| Fire size | Example | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Grass patch, dumpster, small vehicle | 5–20 min |
| Medium | Room-and-contents, car fully involved | 15–45 min |
| Large | Whole house, commercial unit | 45–120 min |
| Major | Multi-alarm, industrial, large woodland fire | 2–12+ hours |
Brussels Airport, on the territory of Zaventem, Machelen and Steenokkerzeel, lies entirely inside the zone; the airfield also has its own airport fire stations. Most of the Brussels Ring (R0) runs through the zone, and several upper-tier Seveso companies are located here; specialist teams cover hazmat and rail accidents. Fires at industrial or logistics sites along the Ring and the Brussels–Scheldt canal can take many hours. The south and west, in the Pajottenland, are rural, with farms far from the nearest career post.
Apparatus & Equipment
Wikipedia NL lists this fleet (year not stated), 79 vehicles in all:
- Fire engine (autopomp)
- 21
- Ambulance
- 19
- Water tanker (tankwagen)
- 12
- Signaling / traffic-safety vehicle
- 11
- Aerial ladder (ladderwagen)
- 9
- Hook-lift truck (haakarmvoertuig)
- 6
- Aerial platform (hoogtewerker)
- 1
- Hazmat
- Dive rescue
- Water rescue
- Rope rescue (GRIMP)
- Rail accidents
- Technical rescue
- Ambulance (EMS)
Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West in Numbers
- 2020 (latest published): 34,157 calls, about 93 per day: 14,254 fire-service and 19,903 ambulance calls
- 2019: 33,185 calls (12,251 fire service, 20,934 ambulance)
- 2018: 37,420 calls, the highest since 2015 (18,236 fire service)
- 2015: 28,974 calls; ambulance calls rose from 16,381 to 19,903 between 2015 and 2020
Services & Community Programs
- Volunteer firefighter and ambulance recruitment: see vlaamsbrabantwest.be.
- Fire prevention advice for building permits and events: via the zone, info@zvbw.be.
Ratings & Accreditation
Belgium has no public fire-protection rating comparable to the US ISO classification. Not applicable.
Outdoor burning: Flemish environmental rules ban burning any waste in the open air, garden waste included. The Flemish Environment Agency lists only narrow exceptions, such as fire-brigade training, campfires with dry untreated wood, farm or landscape plant waste that cannot be removed, and plant-health reasons. A drought ban or local police rules can restrict even these. Take garden waste to a recyclagepark and ask your municipality before lighting any outdoor fire.
Neighboring Rescue Zones
- Brandweer Brussel / Pompiers de Bruxelles, Brussels-Capital Region (center: the zone almost surrounds Brussels)
- Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant, Flemish Brabant (east: Kampenhout, Herent, Tervuren)
- Brandweerzone Rivierenland, Antwerp Province (north: Willebroek, Mechelen)
- Brandweerzone Oost and Hulpverleningszone Zuid-Oost, East Flanders (west: Lebbeke, Aalst, Ninove)
- Zone de secours du Brabant Wallon (south: Tubize, Waterloo)
- Zone de secours Hainaut-Centre and Zone de secours Wallonie Picarde, Hainaut (south-west: Enghien)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for the fire service in western Flemish Brabant?
The zone's general number is +32 2 451 49 11 (zone house, Laan I 57, Liedekerke). For any fire or medical emergency, dial 112.
Which municipalities does Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West cover?
31 municipalities around Brussels, from Londerzeel and Opwijk in the north to Halle, Pajottegem and Sint-Genesius-Rode in the south, including Vilvoorde, Zaventem, Asse and Dilbeek.
Are the firefighters in Vlaams-Brabant West paid?
The zone mixes career and volunteer firefighters, about 600 in all. Seven posts have a career crew on duty 24/7; Opwijk and Tollembeek are volunteer posts.
How fast does the fire service respond in Vlaams-Brabant West?
The zone does not publish an average. Our estimate is about 9–13 minutes for most addresses and 12–18 minutes in the Pajottenland and around Opwijk.
Can I burn garden waste in Flemish Brabant?
No. Flemish rules ban burning garden waste in the open air, with narrow exceptions. Use a recycling park and ask your municipality before any outdoor fire.
Last verified:
- FPS Home Affairs — Rescue zone contacts (April 17, 2026) (members, HQ, phone, e-mail)
- Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West — Official website (offline on October 11, 2026)
- VMM — FAQ on outdoor burning
- Wikipedia NL — Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West (posts, staffing, fleet, 2015–2020 calls, teams, risks, population 2024, area, neighbors)
- OpenStreetMap — Fire stations in western Flemish Brabant (post streets, airport fire stations)
- Wikipedia NL — Pajottegem (2025 merger, Tollembeek)
- Wikipedia NL — Brussels Airport (host municipalities)