Suspicious Fire at Chêne de la Vierge
A fire destroyed the Chêne de la Vierge (the "Oak to the Virgin"), a popular place of pilgrimage and devotion, on July 11th. The tree, which had been covered with statues, crosses, rosaries, and small shrines to the Virgin Mary was ravaged by a fire. The fire was reported to be suspicious because there had been no reports of lightning in the area, and this tree was the only one in the forest to have been burned.
Firefighters from La Guerche and Renazé quickly extinguished the fire, but the tree was destroyed. The incident caused great upset in the area. "It's a disaster, a heartbreaker," said one resident. Another said, "Two months ago, we had gone there to leave virgins and crosses which had belonged to the parents of our niece. They were everywhere on the tree. We had trouble finding a place. There were always people praying there... And now, there is nothing. All these memories are gone. An investigation was initiated to determine the cause of the fire.
Source: Ouest-France