In Liberec, the tower of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua was burning in the morning

Liberec - This morning, the tower of the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Ruprechtice was on fire in Liberec. The fire affected part of the timber structure but was managed to be localized within a few minutes. Speed played a crucial role in the intervention, as the fire could have easily spread through the wooden structures, and the entire tower could have collapsed, said Zdenka Štrauchová, spokeswoman for the Liberec Regional Fire Rescue Service. The causes of the fire and the extent of the damage are not yet known to the firefighters.

"We do not know what caused the fire yet; however, we are also considering the version that it might have been initiated by a lightning strike in the previous days," said Ivana Baláková, regional police spokeswoman, to CTK. The police are currently investigating the amount of damage caused.

The church in Ruprechtice is one of the valuable sacred monuments of Liberec and is a dominant feature of the district. It was designed by prominent North Bohemian architects Max Kühne and Heinrich Fanty. The cornerstone was ceremoniously laid on June 20, 1909, and it was consecrated in September of the following year. At the southeastern corner of the building, there is a 47-meter high tower, which houses one of the original bells. It is marked with the name of the factory owner from Kateřinky, Josef Salomon, who financially contributed to the construction of the pseudo-Gothic church.

The fire in the tower was reported to the firefighters' operational center just before 11:00. The firefighting operation was discovered by chance. "We are considering making the tower accessible, i.e., providing a view from it, so some of the guys went to check it out and found out it was on fire. It was like divine assistance," said Jeroným Jurka, administrator of the Roman Catholic Parish of Liberec - Ruprechtice, to CTK. They discovered that hot embers were falling from the tower's structure.

Five units were dispatched to the fire. "The firefighters prepared for extinguishing both externally and internally," said Štrauchová. While part of the firefighters set up height equipment, another group first ascended via the wooden spiral staircase and then climbed up the wooden ladders with breathing apparatus.

"At the top, there was a part of the timber structure and planks affected by flames covering an area of about two square meters," the spokesperson added. The fire was managed to be localized within a few minutes. After extinguishing, they checked the place with a thermal camera and suppressed hidden hot spots. "Due to the damage to the timber cross, a service engineer was also called to the scene," said Štrauchová.

According to the engineer, there is no immediate danger of instability and collapse of the tower. However, the timber cross must be reinforced as soon as possible. "The church itself is not affected in any way, only the tower. The fire has not limited the activities of the church," added the parish administrator.