In Dolní Studénky, the roof of the former Třemešek castle burned down

Šumperk - In Dolní Studénky in the Šumperk region, a fire consumed the roof of the former Třemešek castle. Several fire brigades rushed to the scene; according to their spokesperson Vladimíra Hacsiková, the fire affected about half of the roof. The damage, according to the investigator, reached approximately 1.5 million crowns, and the cause is still being investigated. According to the mayor of the municipality, Radim Sršeň, it is the property of the municipality. The building had previously served as accommodation, and the municipality plans to renovate it and transform it into a community center, Sršeň told ČTK today. The cause of the fire will be determined by the investigator.

The firefighters received information about the fire at 3:15 PM. Professional units from Šumperk and Zábřeh were dispatched to the scene, and a gas protection vehicle from Olomouc was also called, along with volunteer firefighters from the surrounding area. "Even on the way to the incident, flames could be seen shooting up and thick black smoke rolling from the roof of the castle. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered that the fire had affected about half of the roof and the attic space of the former chateau," the spokesperson for the firefighters stated.

Firefighters conducted their operation using aerial techniques from the outside of the building as well as from the attic space. The strong thick smoke required intervention with breathing apparatus, so the commander of the operation called for the gas protection vehicle from the Olomouc station, which supplied breathing devices to the firefighters, the spokesperson described. After 5:00 PM, the firefighters had the fire under control. "Firefighters will be working on-site until about 9:00 PM; they are now engaged in extinguishing work. The attic was quite messy, and firefighters are carrying things out, clearing the attic, and dousing the fire hotspots," Hacsiková specified before 7:00 PM. No one was injured in the fire; one person was evacuated. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The two-story building is a monument of Renaissance architecture from 1587, which was reconstructed between 1857 and 1863. The building had previously served as a social lodging; however, according to Mayor Radim Sršeň, the lease to the operator ended on June 30. The municipality, which owns the building, has already received a grant for the reconstruction into a community center, which is set to become the largest preschool center in the region and provide social housing. "We were preparing for the renovation of the entire chateau for 50 million crowns. We don't know what happened; the police are investigating on-site. One of the versions is that there were people here who did not want to move out. We needed to prepare the chateau for renovation. It is unfortunate," Mayor Sršeň told ČTK today.

According to him, the municipality acquired the castle from the Olomouc Region about eight years ago for a symbolic crown, with the understanding that it would be renovated for social purposes.