Police Investigate Suspected Arson at Loiret Church
A fire on the altar of Chécy’s parish church in Loiret, France, prompted a police inquiry into suspected arson.
A fire broke out inside the church of Chécy on 15 February at around 16:30, when flames ignited at the altar. Firefighters contained the blaze before it spread, and the operations commander reported that only smoke remained when crews arrived. No injuries were recorded.
Gendarmes arrived at 17:20 to carry out initial examinations, and an investigation was opened to determine the cause. According to information not yet confirmed by law enforcement, a deliberate act had not been ruled out. The article noted that only “false candles” were normally placed on the altar, raising the question of who might have inserted real candles and lit them.
Francis Lavenu, deputy for human resources and public safety, stated that no one had been harmed, despite a person being inside the church at the time. He said: “Fortunately, there were no injuries, despite the presence of a person inside the church who was playing the organ.” Transport police from the Orléans metropolitan area were the first to intervene and assisted the individual present.
The church, open to the public that afternoon, was not equipped with video surveillance, leaving investigators reliant on physical evidence and witness accounts.
Source: La république du centre
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