During the night between August 4th and 5th 2019 firefighters from three towns intervened to extinguish a major fire in the annex of the rectory next to the Church Saint-Laurant in the Belgian town of Virton. The fire broke out in the small outbuilding adjoining the rectory, where a pile of wood and old planks were stored. The fire quickly spread to the roof of the left part of the rectory and the wall of an adjacent restaurant. The priest had just enough time to save his car, which was in the garage and was soon engulfed in flames.
“We nearly escaped a catastrophe.” said the mayor of Virton Francois Culot. The damage was described as significant.
While a the cause of the fire was not determined, reports indicate that a "criminal origin" was very likely.
Sources: La Libre, L'Avenir, Sud Info, and L'Observatoire de la Christianophobie