Critics of the current fire safety regime stress that Melle was fully up to date with the latest rules, including the fitting of smoke alarms and sprinklers. But the responsibility for fire safety in Belgium lies with the federal government, working from a law that dates back to 1974, in which such things as smoke alarms are not mentioned. Flanders has its own rules, which are more modern, but the fact is they have little legal basis.

Experts said there was very little that could have been done to prevent the Melle fire. "You can never make a rest home completely fire safe," said Eddy Letour, chief prevention officer with the Ghent fire service. "It has to be somewhere you can still live comfortably. And it has to remain affordable. Sprinklers, for example, are really expensive."

Now the Flemish minister for health, Jo Vandeurzen, has promised to work on regional regulations which would fill in any gaps left by the outdated federal law. Among the issues to be addressed: the evacuation of a large number of residents with a minimum number of staff, such as during night shifts. Also: the danger of leaving doors and windows open, as happened at Melle because of the heat. That allowed the fire to spread more quickly, as well as providing the flames with a source of oxygen. The fire service recommends self-closing doors and windows. "Some measures will cost money," Letour said. "But set that against the possibility of saving human lives."

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