Zone de secours Val de Sambre is the rescue zone for six municipalities in western Namur Province, along the Sambre between Charleroi and Namur: Sambreville, Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, Floreffe, Sombreffe, Fosses-la-Ville and Mettet, with about 87,700 residents on 336 km². Around 200 career and volunteer staff work from a central fire station in Auvelais and two forward posts, at Mettet and Sart-Saint-Laurent. In 2018 the zone handled 8,225 missions, two-thirds of them ambulance calls, and since 2024 it has run a paramedic team from Mettet. It aims to reach any address within 12 minutes. In an emergency, dial 112.
Zone headquarters (non-emergency)
+32 71 12 14 25- info@zonevaldesambre.be
- Rue de la Vacherie 78, 5060 Sambreville (Auvelais), Belgium
- zonevaldesambre.be
- Office hours: Not published
Who Provides Fire Protection in Zone de secours Val de Sambre
Since 2015, Belgian fire services are organized in rescue zones (zones de secours) run by their member municipalities. Val de Sambre, one of three zones in Namur Province, has its seat in Sambreville and covers six municipalities:
- Lower Sambre valley — Sambreville, Jemeppe-sur-Sambre and Floreffe.
- North — Sombreffe.
- Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse (south) — Fosses-la-Ville and Mettet.
In 2018 the zone counted about 200 people, career firefighters (pompiers professionnels) and volunteers (volontaires) combined; no newer split is published. Since January 1, 2024, a paramedic intervention team (PIT) based in Mettet adds a nurse-staffed ambulance; 18 nurses were qualified for it by late 2024. Dial 112: the emergency center alerts the nearest crews.
Fire Posts in Zone de secours Val de Sambre
| Post | Type | Location | Specialist teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caserne d'Auvelais (central post, HQ) | Combination | Rue de la Vacherie 78, 5060 Sambreville | Not published |
| Poste avancé de Sart-Saint-Laurent | Combination | Behind the sports hall, Sart-Saint-Laurent (Fosses-la-Ville) | Not published |
| Poste avancé de Mettet | Combination (10 on duty 24/7) | Rue Hennevauche, Mettet | Paramedic team (PIT) |
The Auvelais station opened in December 2016. The two forward posts, €1.25 million each, opened on September 29, 2023, to cut response times in Mettet and Floreffe. Posts have no public phone numbers. Dial 112 for emergencies.
Estimated Response Time
Three posts share about 336 km², so the average distance to the nearest post is roughly 6.0 km (3.7 mi). With about 260 residents per km² and mixed career and volunteer crews, the zone uses the suburban/combination column of our baseline table. The zone's own target is to reach any address within 12 minutes; Mettet has been covered in under 10 minutes since a post opened there in 2016.
| Radius | All posts (combination) |
|---|---|
| ≤ 2.4 km | 5–8 min |
| 2.4–4.8 km | 7–10 min |
| 4.8–9.7 km | 9–13 min |
| > 9.7 km | 13+ min |
Typical expectation: about 7–10 minutes in Auvelais, Tamines and central Mettet, and 9–13 minutes in outlying villages of Sombreffe, Jemeppe and Fosses-la-Ville, in line with the 12-minute target.
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 former industrial towns on the Sambre with farmland and woods in the Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse. The July 2021 floods, Belgium's deadliest natural disaster, claimed a life in Mettet, and the zone is planning a €20 million disaster-training center in Auvelais. The Jules Tacheny motor-racing circuit in Mettet draws large crowds. Val de Sambre can measure air pollution at large fires: Hainaut-Est asked it to do so at the 2021 Gosselies pool fire.
Apparatus & Equipment
The zone publishes no fleet list. News reports document fire engines (autopompes polyvalentes) and ambulances at the posts, and:
- Paramedic intervention team (PIT) vehicle, Mettet
- 1
The zone also has air-quality measuring equipment (number not published).
- Firefighting
- Ambulance (EMS)
- Paramedic team (PIT)
- Air monitoring
Zone de secours Val de Sambre in Numbers (2018)
- 8,225 missions, about 23 per day, 619 more than in 2017
- 2,650 firefighting and 5,575 ambulance missions
- Mettet in 2022: 267 fire calls and 860 ambulance runs
- PIT (Mettet): 991 missions from January 1 to December 8, 2024
Services & Community Programs
- Recruitment of career and volunteer firefighters, and volunteer nurses for the PIT: through the zone's administration, +32 71 12 14 25.
- Fire prevention advice and inspections: through the zone's prevention service.
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 Hainaut-Est, Hainaut Province (west: Fleurus, Farciennes, Aiseau-Presles, Gerpinnes)
- Zone de secours NAGE, Namur Province (east and north: Namur, Profondeville, La Bruyère, Gembloux)
- Zone de secours Dinaphi, Namur Province (south: Walcourt, Florennes, Onhaye, Anhée)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for the fire service in Sambreville?
The Val de Sambre zone's general number is +32 71 12 14 25 (Rue de la Vacherie 78, Auvelais). For any fire or medical emergency, dial 112.
Which municipalities does Zone de secours Val de Sambre cover?
Six: Sambreville, Jemeppe-sur-Sambre, Floreffe, Sombreffe, Fosses-la-Ville and Mettet.
Are the firefighters in Val de Sambre paid?
The zone mixes career and volunteer firefighters; in 2018 it had about 200 staff in all. Mettet's forward post has 10 people on duty around the clock.
How fast does the fire service respond in Val de Sambre?
The zone aims to reach any address within 12 minutes. We estimate 7–10 minutes near the posts and 9–13 minutes in outlying villages.
Can I burn garden waste in Sambreville or Mettet?
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, website)
- L'Avenir — Val de Sambre: 8,225 missions (2019) (2018 figures, staff, population)
- DH — Two new forward posts (2023) (locations, cost, staffing, 12-minute target)
- L'Avenir — Mettet post opens (2016)
- L'Avenir — Mettet PIT (2024)
- DH — Zone at 10 years, training center (2025)
- DH — Gosselies pool fire (2021) (air measurements)
- Wikipedia FR — Communes of Wallonia (municipal areas and 2020 population, summed)
- RTBF — Garden fires: rules and distances (2026)