Average fire response time is 10 minutes 53 seconds

It takes, on average, 10 minutes and 53 seconds for firefighters to arrive at the scene of a fire in Belgium, according to newly released figures which reveal big regional differences.

The fastest fire brigade in Belgium can be found in the Zwijndrecht district of Antwerp, where a fire engine is typically dispatched 2.5 minutes after an emergency call is made, and arrives on the scene in 7 minutes 19 seconds.

Brussels came a close second, with an average response time of 8 minutes 6 seconds. The figures, published in Het Nieuwsblad, are based on fire reports from 2016.

The regional average in Flanders is 10 minutes 23 seconds, while in Wallonia you'll have to wait 12 minutes for the fire engine to turn up. In rural Luxembourg province, the response time reaches 17 minutes.

There are no rules fixing how fast the fire brigade should be on site. A draft bill proposed during a recent reform of the fire department had suggested a 12 minute response time, but it was never adopted.