An event celebrating 250 years of American independence in Brussels led to unexpected damage. The U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, organized a fireworks display at Cinquantenaire Park. This event included lobster rolls and country music.

Unfortunately, the fireworks left black soot marks on a building housing the Royal Museums of Art and History. Ambassador White confirmed the incident, mentioning that the fireworks company would handle the necessary repairs. He attributed the damage partly to a storm that might have removed a protective coating from the structure.

White stated he had communicated with the mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, regarding the incident. Reports about potential damage surfaced in Belgian news outlets De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad. Following the reports, White assured the public via social media that the venue was even cleaner after the event cleanup.

Vanessa Matz’s office, overseeing the Belgian Buildings Agency, released a statement. It mentioned that the agency was analyzing the extent of the damage to the roofs and cornices. This analysis would also consider the impact of recent storms in the area.