Fire destroyed the castle in Horní Maršov, damage estimated at five million crowns

Horní Maršov - A fire destroyed the originally baroque castle in Horní Maršov in the Trutnov region. The fire destroyed all the roofs of the building, the castle tower, and damaged the first floor of the castle. The fire investigator preliminarily estimated the damage at five million crowns. The extent of the damage will be specified in the coming days according to firefighter spokesperson Martina Götzová after discussions with the castle owner. Firefighters finished extinguishing the fire today at 5:35 PM. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The unused and decaying baroque castle burst into flames today before 5:00 AM, and firefighters brought the fire under control after nearly five hours. Subsequently, firefighters began dismantling the burned structures and extinguishing hidden hotspots of the fire. They also used a thermal camera to locate hotspots. "Until Monday morning, a local firefighting unit from Horní Maršov will remain on site to monitor the fire area," Götzová said.

Two firefighters sustained minor injuries during the operation and returned to extinguish the fire after treatment. One firefighter required medical attention due to overall exhaustion. About 80 firefighters from eight units fought the fire.

Criminal investigators also arrived at the scene to work with the firefighters to determine the cause of the fire. According to the police, all possibilities will be examined, including accidental mishap, technical failure, negligent behavior, and intentional arson. The server Novinky.cz reported that a couple of witnesses from nearby houses allegedly heard independently a car tire squealing and a subsequent explosion. "The air was allegedly filled with the smell of gasoline, and flames soon engulfed the castle," the server stated.

The castle, which is a cultural monument, was reportedly offered for sale for 14.5 million crowns according to information from the website best-reality.cz. "Since April 1994, the building has not been used in any way, and its structural condition has deteriorated," the website states. The castle has been on the market for many years.

"The entire roof down to the building is gone. What wasn't made of stone is gone. Only the chimneys are sticking out; there is no roof on the entire castle," said Mayor Pavel Mrázek.

The municipality occasionally used the castle park area in the past for organizing children's days or cultural events. "There is sadness; many people had an emotional attachment to the castle. On the other hand, we hope that (the owners) will start doing something about it. But time will tell," said the mayor. Recently, according to him, there were indications that a serious buyer might emerge. "The municipality was ready to cooperate with a potential new owner," said the mayor.

According to the mayor, the fire did not restrict life in the village in any way. The main road from Trutnov to Pec pod Sněžkou, near which the castle stands, remained passable. Drivers, however, had to slow down or wait in a queue because firefighters pulled hoses across the road to draw water from the Úpa River. "There was no need to evacuate people from the nearby houses," said the mayor.

The main building of the castle was constructed in the baroque style in 1792, and in 1869, three rear wings of the castle were added, creating a closed square courtyard. The castle, with a built-up area of about 2000 square meters, has been renovated several times. The main building was completely reconstructed from 1907 to 1910, and a four-sided tower was created, according to a real estate website. In the second half of the last century, the castle served as a school and children's home.

According to land registry data, the owner of the castle is the company Sagna. The owner of Sagna, according to commercial register data, is a citizen of the Russian Federation.