Krasna Horka Castle (Slovak Republic) severely damaged by grass fire
On March 10, 2012, a devastating fire broke out at the Krasna Horka castle in the Slovak Republic. The castle, which dates back to the 14th century, is a popular tourist destination and a significant cultural and historical landmark in the region. The fire started in the afternoon, allegedly due to burning of dry grass by two children who were trying to light cigarettes. According to the firemen who intervened during the incident, the fire started as a consequence of incautious burning of dry grass. On 11 March 2012, the police spokesman of the Košice region stated that “the grass caught fire after two boys (aged 11 and 12) attempted to light up a cigarette. Following that, the fire spread and reached the castle
Strong winds on the day of the fire quickly spread the flames throughout the castle, engulfing several buildings and causing significant damage.
Firefighters were quickly dispatched to the scene, but their efforts were hampered by the castle’s location in a remote area and the lack of access roads. The fire raged on for several hours, consuming much of the castle’s wooden structures and causing significant damage to its historic buildings.
The castle’s chapel, which was built in the 17th century, was among the buildings that were completely destroyed.The loss of Krasna Horka castle’s cultural and historical heritage has been described as “irreparable” by local authorities and cultural experts.
The castle was not only a popular tourist destination, but it was also an important cultural and historical landmark in the region.
The roof of the castle, the exposition in the Gothic palace and the bell tower were completely destroyed. The heat melted down three bells from the bell tower. The building sustained extensive damage.
Initially, it was thought that many of its historic artefacts were destroyed. The vast majority of exhibits remained undamaged and only the upper part of the castle (including collections) was destroyed. The Slovak National Museum stated that 90% of the collections were undamaged.
