The roof of the Saints-François church in Montpellier was recently devastated by a fire spectacular, requiring the intervention of nearly 80 firefighters for six hours to control the flames. This disaster, the first hypotheses of which point to an accident occurring during waterproofing work, shocked the local community and sparked an investigation to determine responsibilities.
On Wednesday December 11, 2024, the Church of Saints-François located on Boulevard de Strasbourg in Montpellier, near the Saint-Roch station and the city center, was engulfed in flames in the middle of the morning. The alert was given at 9:30 a.m., when thick clouds of black smoke were escaping from the zinc roof of this religious building, inaugurated in 1997. The speed and efficiency of the emergency services made it possible to save objects of great value, notably the organ and a statue of the Virgin Mary.
The causes of the fire
As soon as the fire broke out, more than 80 firefighters were mobilized to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to surrounding buildings. According to initial investigations, the incident was probably caused by waterproofing work in progress in the church’s attic. However, an investigation is underway to confirm these assumptions and determine more precisely the responsibilities linked to this tragic incident.
Impact on the local community
The event had a significant impact on the local Montpellier community. The residents felt the smoke coming from the fire several hundred meters away. In addition, local residents had to be temporarily evacuated due to the spread of smoke and the closure of certain surrounding roads to allow emergency services to intervene. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, although a feeling of desolation still fills local consciousness.
One incident among others in Montpellier
The city of Montpellier is no stranger to tragic events in the year 2024. A few weeks earlier, a home was endangered by an arson requiring the rehousing of eleven people, as detailed in this article here. In addition, the city was the scene of a grocery store robbery followed by a fire tragic to read there.