Firefighters in Lourdes contained a crypt fire at the Sacré‑Cœur parish church after smoke was seen escaping the building, with investigators reporting debris used as ignition material and clear signs of unauthorised entry.
Police in Lourdes, France, investigated a fire that broke out in the crypt of the Sacré‑Cœur parish church on the morning of December 26, 2025, after evidence indicated a deliberate intrusion and ignition of materials. According to police chief Humberto Dos Santos, “we think the fire started due to human action,” and he confirmed that the blaze appeared to have begun minutes before the sacristan arrived for duty.
Investigators reported that a plexiglass panel at the base of the building had been displaced, allowing entry, and that cardboard inside the crypt had been moved and used to start the fire.
The sacristan discovered the flames at approximately 7:35 a.m., alerted firefighters, and contained part of the blaze before twelve firefighters extinguished it; authorities closed the site to the public while forensic samples were collected to determine whether accelerants were used.
The parish had previously been targeted between November 10 and 11, when anti‑Christian slurs were written on its entrance doors, prompting an earlier police inquiry (OIDAC Reported).