In Děčín, two historic cabins burned down, firefighters are guarding the site

Rynartice - Today, two historic cottages, which are a cultural monument, burned down in the České Švýcarsko National Park near Rynartice. Firefighters declared a high third degree fire alert. Dozens of firefighters were on site, and a helicopter was also assisting. The fire spread into the forest in poorly accessible rocky terrain, and firefighters brought it under control before 14:00. Firefighter spokesman Lukáš Marvan told ČTK. The owner planned to open the cottages to tourists on Monday. "It's shocking," he told ČTK.

According to current information, investigators are examining the fire site, and they will continue on Saturday morning. A unit of volunteer firefighters from Hřensko in Děčín will remain on site overnight. Firefighters, according to Marvan, will conclude their intervention on Saturday. Today, they are unlikely to quantify the damage. Police spokesperson Veronika Hyšplerová told ČTK in the evening that the police are investigating the cause of the fire, which should be known after the weekend.

Park rangers discovered the fire this morning, and firefighters were dispatched to the scene before 7:00 AM. The fire completely engulfed the historic wooden cottages of a private owner. "The fire in the buildings is practically extinguished; not much is left of them," Marvan stated. Their current appearance dated back to the 1930s. ČTK's photo reporter on site noted that from one cottage, there was practically only a chimney left, from the other, the outer wall and a copper roof.

Other buildings in the area were not affected by the fire. "They are now extinguishing the forest growth because the fire spread up into the rocks, and tackling it is relatively difficult," Marvan said in the afternoon.

The examination of the site by investigators will only be possible after the fire site cools down. "We do not yet know what caused the ignition," police spokesperson Dan Vítek told ČTK in the afternoon. "We do not have information about the cause; it is too early for that," said Pavel Benda, the director of the national park, to ČTK. "Two hunting cottages, which are protected as cultural monuments, were affected; thus, the loss is practically incalculable," he added.

The place of the fire, called Na Tokáni, is a popular destination for tourists. The former lodge and a group of adjacent buildings were built in alpine style. "The rangers went into the forest because they saw smoke rising from there. Initially, they were searching for a forest fire and discovered that these two cottages, which had recently served as accommodation and dining facilities, were burning," Tomáš Salov, spokesperson for the park, told ČTK.

On Monday, the operators planned to welcome the first guests at the cottages. "We were waiting to open on Monday. We also had a lot of reservations; we will now have to resolve everything," Miroslav Keller, speaking on behalf of the owner, told ČTK. "When they called me at seven in the morning that the guesthouse was on fire, it was a shock, but mainly that no one was there," he stated. According to him, the damage will be very high, but he did not dare to quantify it.

The Na Tokáni buildings were built by the Kinský family. In total, there are six structures that later became cultural monuments, two of which burned down. "The buildings are interesting because they appear as log cabins, but they are mostly brick structures clad in wood. Unfortunately, this can also be seen from the burned remains; the walls and chimneys are still standing," Antonín Kadlec from the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) told ČTK. "The loss is significant," he added.

The structures, set against the landscape under the sandstone cliffs, are unique due to the combination of wood and masonry. "This type of building has no equivalent in the region," Kadlec said. Heritage conservationists will visit the site next week to document what remains of the structures. "Probably the brick remains have survived, and we will find out if there is anything else left," he stated.