The construction of the replica church in Gutech is being postponed due to the firefighters

Ostrava - The Moravian-Silesian firefighters rejected the proposed fire protection measures for the planned replica of the church in Třinec-Guty. They consider it insufficient. Petr Kůdela, their spokesman, told ČTK. The start of construction on the replica of the wooden church, which was destroyed by an intentionally set fire in August 2017, has thus been postponed indefinitely.

"We issued a negative opinion on the fire safety solution. The construction would be insufficiently protected," stated Kůdela. For example, firefighters wanted the electronic fire alarm system to be directed straight to the integrated rescue system's dispatchers' desk. According to the plan, it was supposed to lead to a private company.

"The problem would be the delay that would occur before the information reached us," Kůdela said, adding that firefighters estimate the delay to be from tens of seconds to several minutes.

The project is being prepared by the Bishopric of the Ostrava-Opava Diocese. Václav Kotásek, head of the diocese’s construction department, has only received verbal information about the project’s rejection so far. "We still do not have a written opinion. I know there were more comments. However, I don't know exactly what they were. Once we evaluate the comments, we will issue a statement," said Kotásek to ČTK.

Construction was supposed to start last autumn. However, the preparation has been delayed. For instance, negotiations with heritage preservationists took longer than the investor anticipated. It was necessary to find a compromise between the parties’ expectations. The new date was estimated for this summer. With the firefighters' negative stance, the start of construction is postponed.

Everything is ready for the construction besides the project. 450 cubic meters of logs have been cut down. The selected company has already debarked the wood for construction, adjusted it to the necessary profiles, and stored it for future use. The wood has mostly been hewn or otherwise adjusted. At the same time, spruce wood was being harvested for making shingle roofing. About 150 cubic meters of wood will be used for the production of shingles.

The church from the 16th century burned down on the night of August 2, 2017. The fire caused damage of around 20 million crowns. The Regional Court in Ostrava sentenced three eighteen-year-old young men from the Ostrava and Frýdek-Místek regions to prison for 3.5 years, eight, and nine years for setting fire to the valuable church. The harshest sentence was given to the boy who devised the plan. The lightest sentence was given to the boy who actually set the building on fire. At the time of the crime, he was not yet an adult. The eight-year sentence was given to the convicted person who brought everyone to the site.