The police arrested two people due to the fire at the rare church in Třinec

Ostrava - The police detained two people in connection with the fire at the historic church in Třinec-Guty, whom they suspect of arson and possibly also endangering the general public. At a press conference in Ostrava, Moravian-Silesian police director Tomáš Kužel said that the police had not yet charged anyone. The detectives did not want to disclose more detailed information about the suspects.

The rare wooden church from the 16th century in Guty burned down on the night of Wednesday. The flames practically destroyed the entire structure. The cross standing right next to the church tower remained almost untouched. No one was injured in the fire, and the initial damage estimate is in the tens of millions of crowns.

Almost immediately after the fire, there was talk of the possibility of building a faithful replica of the former sanctuary on the site. Pavel Siuda, spokesman for the Ostrava-Opava diocese, told ČTK today that the diocese has begun taking steps to allow for the construction of a "scientific reconstruction."

According to Mayor Věra Palkovská, Třinec is considering launching a fundraiser and organizing a charity concert. Palkovská told ČTK today that the city council is set to discuss the announcement of the fundraiser for the church at a special meeting on Monday. The mayor will have her first meeting regarding the charitable concert this evening and will also meet with the Deputy Minister of Culture this afternoon to discuss the possibility of obtaining a grant for the construction. "We will combine our efforts to ensure that the little church stands," the mayor promised.

According to Siuda, the diocese has begun gathering the necessary documentation for a possible construction, having some from previous renovations of the building. "We are taking these steps in case a decision is made about the construction, so that we are prepared," the spokesman stated. He could not yet say how much the construction of the replica would cost. According to his estimate, it could be around 22 million crowns, similar to the replica of St. Catherine's Church in Ostrava-Hrabová, which burned down in 2002. However, this amount would only cover the construction and does not include interior furnishings like benches, Siuda said. He noted that the diocese welcomed the city's initiative regarding the fundraiser and would not organize any additional one itself.

Siuda added that a mass will take place in front of the burned church on Sunday before noon. Where parishioners will gather for the service afterward remains to be determined by the parish.

According to the year inscribed on the portal, it is possible that the church in Guty was built in 1563, but it could be even older. From 2012 to 2014, the church underwent renovation costing 4.3 million crowns.