Dozens of firefighters responded to a fire in the historic building of the National Theatre

Prague - Dozens of firefighters intervened this afternoon in a fire at the historic building of the National Theatre in Prague. Initial information that there was a fire in the staff locker room was ultimately not confirmed. Theatre director Jan Burian later specified that the fire spread through a shaft that carries water or heat from the basement. According to the firefighters, the fire has been extinguished. They claim that there is no longer any danger. Most units have already returned to their bases. The extent of the damage and the cause are not yet clear.

Thick smoke began to pour from the historic building before 3:00 PM. Firefighters declared a second alarm level. They also intervened from ladders. About a hundred employees evacuated the theatre before the arrival of the fire units. There were no spectators in the theatre at the time of the fire. One person inhaled smoke, but hospitalization was not necessary.

Incident commander Jan Kulhánek said in the evening on Czech Television (ČT) that the fire originated in the technical facilities of the building. "The area where smoke spread and where we were looking for the fire's source was extensive. It was very challenging for the firefighters to locate the source of the fire," he stated. At 5:45 PM, according to him, only four fire units remained on site, which were ventilating and monitoring the building. According to the commander, the intervention should be completed around 6:00 PM.

The director of the National Theatre hopes that today's event will not affect the theatre's program. "We are now waiting for the firefighters' decision on when we can return to the theatre and start ventilating and testing all operational systems so that we can restore operations and continue performances," Burian said. According to theatre spokesman Tomáš Staněk, Thursday's premiere of the original ballet Scheherazade is also not threatened. "It did not affect the auditorium or the stage in any way, so I believe that the premiere on Thursday will take place," the director added.

The immediate surroundings of the building were closed off during the firefighters' intervention. According to the transport company website, the public transport operation was not limited. Trams were not running for just a few minutes. The police redirected automobile traffic.