Zone de secours Hainaut-Centre (ZHC) is the rescue zone for 28 municipalities in central Hainaut, from Mons and the Borinage to La Louvière, Binche and the Haute-Senne: about 550,000 residents on 1,358 km². Its roughly 620 firefighters, about 360 career and 260 volunteer, work from ten fire posts. Some 240 volunteer ambulance staff support them, and a permanent fire-prevention post serves SHAPE, NATO's military headquarters at Casteau. The zone also runs the ambulance service. It does not publish yearly call totals or a fleet list. Headquarters are in Cuesmes (Mons). In an emergency, dial 112.
Zone headquarters (non-emergency)
+32 65 32 17 00- Storm help (non-urgent): 1722, when active
- contact@zhc.be
- Rue des Sandrinettes 29, 7033 Cuesmes (Mons), Belgium
- zhc.be
- Office hours: Not published
Who Provides Fire Protection in Zone de secours Hainaut-Centre
Since 2015, Belgian fire services are organized in rescue zones (zones de secours) run by their member municipalities. Hainaut-Centre, one of three zones in Hainaut, covers 28:
- Mons and the Borinage — Mons, Boussu, Colfontaine, Dour, Frameries, Hensies, Quaregnon, Quiévrain, Saint-Ghislain, Honnelles, Quévy, Jurbise, Lens, Brugelette and Chièvres.
- The Centre — La Louvière, Binche, Estinnes, Morlanwelz, Manage, Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont, Le Roeulx and Seneffe.
- Haute-Senne and the north — Soignies, Braine-le-Comte, Écaussinnes, Enghien and Silly.
The zone has about 930 staff: some 860 operational and 70 administrative. The operational side counts about 360 career firefighters (pompiers professionnels), 260 volunteer firefighters (pompiers volontaires) and 240 volunteer ambulance staff who are not firefighters. Volunteers must live within 7 minutes of their post.
Fire Posts in Zone de secours Hainaut-Centre
| Post | Type | Location | Specialist teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poste de Quiévrain | Combination | Place du Ballodrome 1, 7380 Quiévrain | Not published |
| Poste de Dour | Combination | Avenue Victor Régnart 10, 7370 Dour | Not published |
| Poste de Saint-Ghislain | Combination | Rue de l'Abattoir 17, 7330 Saint-Ghislain | Not published |
| Poste de Chièvres | Volunteer | Rue de la Croix 112, 7950 Bauffe | Not published |
| Poste de Mons | Career | Mons (street not published) | Not published |
| Poste d'Enghien | Combination | Rempart Saint-Christophe 37, 7850 Enghien | Not published |
| Poste de Soignies | Combination | Rue de la Senne 72, 7060 Soignies | Not published |
| Poste de Braine-le-Comte | Combination | Rue des Etats-Unis 11, 7090 Braine-le-Comte | Not published |
| Poste de La Louvière | Career | La Louvière (street not published) | Not published |
| Poste de Binche | Combination | Rue de la Pépinière 57A, 7130 Binche | Not published |
Streets come from the zone's 2019 volunteer call, which listed the eight posts that take volunteers; Mons and La Louvière were not on it. Posts have no public phone numbers. Dial 112 for emergencies.
Estimated Response Time
Ten posts share 1,358 km², so the average distance to the nearest post is roughly 6.6 km (4.1 mi). With about 405 residents per km² and mixed career and volunteer crews, the zone falls in the suburban/combination column of our baseline table; Mons and La Louvière use the career column. Volunteers on home standby must first reach the post: 10–12 minutes at Bauffe, per Lens's mayor (2026), and six are needed before a pumper can leave.
| Radius | Mons, La Louvière (career) | Other posts (combination) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 2.4 km | 4–6 min | 5–8 min |
| 2.4–4.8 km | 6–8 min | 7–10 min |
| 4.8–9.7 km | 8–11 min | 9–13 min |
| > 9.7 km | 11+ min | 13+ min |
Typical expectation: about 6–8 minutes in central Mons and La Louvière, 9–13 minutes elsewhere; longer in the rural Haut-Pays and around Silly and Lens, or when a volunteer post cannot muster a crew.
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 |
The zone mixes dense former mining towns, with long rows of terraced houses, and open farmland. Chemical sites add hazmat risk: when fire broke out at the Nouryon peroxide plant (formerly AkzoNobel) in Ghlin in May 2022, the zone sent nearly 30 firefighters with pumpers from Mons and Saint-Ghislain, two tankers, a drone and a chemical reconnaissance vehicle, and the fire was under control in about an hour. The Pairi Daiza zoo sits just across from the Bauffe post, and NATO's SHAPE headquarters has its own permanent prevention post.
Apparatus & Equipment
No fleet list is published. The zone runs fire engines (autopompes), aerial ladders and ambulances (numbers not published), and news reports document:
- Water tankers (citernes)
- 2+
- Chemical reconnaissance vehicle
- 1+
- Drones
- 1+
- Firefighting
- Hazmat reconnaissance
- Drones
- Ambulance (EMS)
Zone de secours Hainaut-Centre in Numbers
- About 930 staff, 10 fire posts plus 1 permanent prevention post at SHAPE
- Yearly call totals: Not published
- Storm Floriane, January 2025: about 130 calls from midday on January 6, with all ten posts mobilized
Services & Community Programs
- Volunteer and career recruitment: job offers, the federal aptitude certificate (CAF) and volunteer calls on zhc.be.
- Fire prevention: inspections and campaigns on zhc.be.
Ratings & Accreditation
Belgium has no public fire-protection rating comparable to the US ISO classification. Not applicable.
Outdoor burning: In Wallonia, burning waste in the open air is banned. Dry natural plant waste is the only exception, and a fire must stay at least 100 m (330 ft) from houses, orchards, hedges, crops and stacks, and 25 m (80 ft) from woods (Rural Code, art. 89). Wet plant waste and fresh grass clippings may not be burned, and municipalities can add rules or drought bans. Take garden waste to a recyparc and ask your municipality before lighting any outdoor fire.
Neighboring Rescue Zones
- Zone de secours Wallonie Picarde, Hainaut Province (west and northwest: Ath, Beloeil, Bernissart, Lessines)
- Zone de secours Hainaut-Est, Hainaut Province (east: Pont-à-Celles, Courcelles, Fontaine-l'Évêque, Anderlues, Merbes-le-Château, Erquelinnes)
- Zone de secours du Brabant Wallon, Walloon Brabant (northeast: Rebecq, Ittre, Nivelles)
- Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West, Flemish Brabant (north of Enghien: Pajottegem)
- France (south: Nord department, along Hensies, Quiévrain, Dour, Honnelles and Quévy)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for the fire service in Mons and La Louvière?
The zone's administration number is +32 65 32 17 00 (Rue des Sandrinettes 29, Cuesmes). For any fire or medical emergency, dial 112.
Which municipalities does Zone de secours Hainaut-Centre cover?
28 municipalities, including Mons, La Louvière, Binche, Soignies, Braine-le-Comte, Saint-Ghislain and Enghien.
Are the firefighters in Hainaut-Centre paid?
Both: about 360 career and 260 volunteer firefighters. Mons and La Louvière are career posts; volunteers serve at the other eight.
How fast does the fire service respond in Hainaut-Centre?
Response times are not published. We estimate 6–8 minutes in central Mons and La Louvière, 9–13 minutes elsewhere.
Can I burn garden waste in Hainaut-Centre?
Only dry plant waste, at least 100 m from houses and 25 m from woods, under Walloon rules and local bylaws. Household waste may never be burned. Ask your municipality first.
Last verified:
- FPS Home Affairs — Rescue zone contacts (April 17, 2026) (members, HQ, phone)
- ZHC — The zone (municipalities, population, area, posts, SHAPE post)
- ZHC — Staff (career, volunteer, ambulance and administrative staff)
- ZHC — Fire posts (10 posts, contacts)
- ZHC — Volunteer firefighter call, 2019 (via Estinnes) (post addresses, 7-minute rule)
- RTBF — Garden fires: rules and distances (2026)
- L'Avenir — Bauffe post (July 2026) (volunteer standby, turnout)
- DH — Nouryon fire in Ghlin (2022) (resources sent)
- DH — Storm calls, January 2025