U.S. Embassy Under Scrutiny for Possible Fireworks Damage to Belgian Heritage Site

Investigators in Brussels are examining whether fireworks from a €5 million Independence Day event on June 28 damaged a historic museum at Parc du Cinquantenaire, a major heritage complex housing three royal institutions. Physical evidence—blackened roof coating and pyrotechnic residue—points toward the fireworks as the cause. If confirmed, liability falls on the U.S. Embassy and Ambassador Bill White, potentially straining U.S.-Belgian relations over repair costs on federal property.