In Krnov, the former textile factory Karnola, a national cultural monument, was on fire

Krnov - A large fire broke out this afternoon at the building of the former textile factory Karnola in Krnov in the Bruntál region. Firefighters on-site declared the third fire level out of four. They got the fire under control in about four hours at a site that is a national cultural monument. However, firefighters will continue to work on-site and will remain until Thursday morning, spokesperson Jakub Kozák told ČTK around 20:45. The damage is estimated to reach millions of crowns according to initial estimates.

"The fire was localized after 20:00. We are extinguishing the fire in the rear section, and we are reducing the number of units," Kozák stated. After the complete extinguishment, firefighters will monitor the site of the fire.

The fire broke out before 16:00. Ninety professional and volunteer firefighters from 19 units fought the flames. During the intervention, one firefighter suffered minor injuries. Damage is expected to reach several million crowns according to initial estimates, and from a historical perspective, it will undoubtedly be an extraordinary loss. "One volunteer firefighter was slightly injured, suffered minor burns, and was treated by the emergency services," Kozák said. "We do not yet know the cause or the extent of the damage, but given its historical value, it will be significant," he added.

Firefighting was complicated by the fact that the reed ceilings were burning in places, and the building was heavily smoked, necessitating the use of breathing apparatus at frequent intervals.

City spokesperson Dita Círová told ČTK that in the most affected area, there were old weaving machines in the first floor, indicating that this part contained a valuable fabric sample workshop. "There was a large archive of fabric samples dating back to around 1870; that was where the flames were the strongest," Círová stated. According to her, the regional archive in Opava also has some buildings in this part of the area. "We own half of the entire area, the other half is owned by the regional archive in Opava, which has completely renovated it over 13 years, with the last reconstruction costing 40 million crowns, which was completed in November," Círová added. The fire affected the part of the building that belongs to the city.

The police are redirecting traffic at the site, and traffic restrictions will be in place for the duration of the intervention. "Police officers are also ensuring safety in the vicinity of the fire scene," police spokesperson Pavla Jiroušková told ČTK.

The building of the former spinning mill with a sample workshop from 1900 was declared a national cultural monument in February 2010. The building houses a historically valuable sample workshop where seasonal fabric patterns were designed in the wool goods factory of Alois Larisch and sons. The original equipment has been preserved in the so-called dezinatura - for example, a winding machine, hand looms, or a collection of fabric samples; the oldest dating back to the 1870s. Everything has been preserved in the state of the last working day to this day.

The Krnov factory Karnola got into economic problems primarily due to the financial crisis in Russia in 1998 - one of its significant export territories. Additionally, the textile factory suffered severe blows from devastating floods twice. Creditors of Karnola then filed claims amounting to approximately 180 million. As early as 2006, Krnov considered transforming the area into a museum, and a year later, it purchased the buildings from the bankruptcy administrator.

At the beginning of this year, Krnov succeeded with a project planned to turn the 15-year dilapidated building into a museum and a venue for public events. The work was expected to start in the coming years, aiming for an opening in 2020. The cost of the modifications was estimated at 123 million crowns. The city secured a grant of 95 million crowns from the European Union for the project, which also includes landscaping, while the region was to contribute ten million crowns and the city 18 million.