Fire exposes cannabis plantation in Tessenderlo-Ham; two homes uninhabitable
Early on 7 November 2026 a fire in two adjoining houses on Bergstraat in Tessenderlo-Ham exposed a cannabis plantation in the house where it started. Both houses were declared temporarily uninhabitable, the plantation's size is still being examined, and police report no arrests so far.
🇧🇪 Bergstraat, Tessenderlo-Ham · Belgium
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Arrested
0
Agencies
Regio West-Limburg, Limburg public prosecutor's office
The fire occurred on Saturday 7 November 2026.[1]Around 3:30 that morning, a
fire broke out in a house on Bergstraat in Tessenderlo and spread to the
adjoining house.[2]When firefighters from the South-West Limburg emergency
zone arrived, the blaze was already well developed.[2]One female resident
managed to get out in time.[2]No one was injured, but the upper floors
suffered heavy damage.[2]TVL reported that nobody was home at the moment of
the fire.[3]
During the firefighting, emergency workers discovered a cannabis plantation in
the house.[3]The Limburg prosecutor’s office confirmed that a cannabis
plantation stood in one of the houses.[4]The scale and capacity of the
plantation are not yet known.[2]A laboratory is now examining exactly how
large the plantation is.[3]Initial findings indicate that electricity in the
house was tapped illegally.[1]Police from the Regio West-Limburg force went
to the scene, made initial findings and opened an investigation.[2]
A cannabis plantation was discovered during a severe fire in Tessenderlo that
left two houses uninhabitable.[5]Both homes were declared temporarily
uninhabitable because of the fire damage.[2]No arrests had been made at the
time of the initial reporting.[4]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
Arrested
0
Agencies
Regio West-Limburg; Limburg public prosecutor's office
HBVLhbvl.beNL(video) Wietplantage ontdekt bij zware brand in Tessenderlo: twee huizen onbewoonbaar
Open questions the AI reported
No plant count, weight, or value for the plantation was published.
VRT NWS and The Brussels Times report a female resident got outside in time, while TVL wrote that nobody was home when the fire broke out; the report keeps both accounts without resolving them.
No arrests, charges, or court outcome had been reported at publication time.
The submitted HBVL page is a video page carrying only the title and publication timestamp, so the fuller account comes from the corroborating outlets.
Federal police reported that a joint operation at Tournai railway station on 4 November checked more than 700 passengers and led to one judicial arrest. The services seized 122.41 grams of cannabis, five ecstasy pills and an incapacitant spray, and issued seven immediate settlements totalling 725 euros.
Neteland police found 3,470 grams of cannabis plus other drugs in a home in Olen during a search on 1 November. The resident was arrested on suspicion of drug dealing and remanded in custody by the investigating judge.
On 15 October 2026 the Collines police investigation unit dismantled a cannabis grow in Ellezelles, seizing 144 plants, 4.43 kg of flowers, 1.3 kg of residue and a hydraulic press for making resin. The Mons-Tournai prosecutor's office is still investigating. No arrests were named.
On the evening of 7 October 2026 firefighters called to a smouldering shed on Hornszee in Genk found a cannabis grow of about 250 plants. Police arrested a 64-year-old woman, who was released, and a 74-year-old man, whom an investigating judge sent to prison.
