The roof of the Plumlov castle was struck by a fire

Plumlov (Prostějovsko) - The roof of one of the buildings in the castle complex in Plumlov, in the Prostějov region, was hit by a fire last night. Firefighters extinguished the flames over a length of 30 meters. The damage is estimated at eight to 12 million crowns, said firefighter spokesman Jan Ondruch today. During the fire, the roof of the left wing of the lower castle was affected. According to the castle custodian Pavel Zástěra, there are technical rooms in the castle, including storage areas. Investigators will arrive at the scene during the day and do not rule out that it may have been arson. Culture Minister Daniel Herman also offered assistance in mitigating the aftermath of the damage.

According to the custodian, the fire started around 01:00. Six firefighting units were deployed on-site. “We divide the castle into the high and low sections. The high castle, which also houses exhibits, is fine. The roof on the eastern side of the low castle burned over a length of about 20 meters. The focal point was in the shed, where there is a storage area for firewood,” custodian Zástěra told ČTK. According to him, there is no electricity installed in this area. The lower castle contains technical spaces, offices, and a restaurant. “In the areas affected by the fire, there were only storage rooms and technical spaces,” added the custodian.

Firefighters from the entire surrounding area responded to the scene, and elevated equipment was also deployed. “The incident commander reported the localization of the fire at 1:59, when the fire ceased to spread and the forces and resources on-site were sufficient to prevent its further spread. The fire was reported extinguished by the incident commander at 5:12,” said firefighter spokesman Ondruch. He added that the units, with their timely intervention, saved property valued at nearly 50 million crowns.

Culture Minister Daniel Herman also commented on the fire at the heritage site. “According to the first information, the fire mainly damaged the technical infrastructure of Plumlov castle, and the main cultural assets of the building were hopefully not affected. We must especially thank the firefighters for saving significant values. Although Plumlov Castle is not administered by our contribution organization, the National Heritage Institute, the Ministry of Culture can help through grant programs after assessing the extent and amount of the damage,” said Minister Herman to ČTK.

According to firefighter spokeswoman Vladimíra Hacsiková, investigators from both the fire service and police will head to the scene during the day. “They will be determining the cause of the fire. A specialist with a dog has also been invited to the site to search for accelerants. All possible versions of the fire's origin will be investigated, including technical failure, negligence, and also intentional arson,” Hacsiková told ČTK today. She stated that the investigation will take weeks.

According to the custodian, the fire affected a relatively large area, with the roofing destroyed over a length of up to 25 meters, and the trusses will need to be replaced over a length of about 15 meters. The damage estimate is preliminary; larger damages were prevented by residents living below the castle, who noticed the smoke and then the flames and immediately called the firefighters. “If they had noticed it an hour later, the problem would have been multiplied,” added the custodian.