That was the trigger

Fire alarm in church: confessional burnt out

When the fire department arrived, the confessional could no longer be saved.(Bild: Freiwillige Feuerwehr Arbesbach)

The fire department was deployed early on Sunday morning in the Lower Austrian parish church of Arbesbach (Zwettl district). Smoke was noticed when the church was unlocked. The confessional was destroyed by the fire, but no one was injured.

It was the first operation of the new year for the Arbesbach volunteer fire department. The helpers were alerted at around 7 o'clock in the morning. When they arrived on site, the interior of the parish church was completely filled with smoke, "but there was no longer any visible open fire", according to the fire department's report.

The burnt-out confessional.(Bild: Freiwillige Feuerwehr Altmelon)

Four fire departments with around 50 members extinguished pockets of embers and cleared the building of smoke. The bell tower and the attic above the church vault were also checked.

Extensive damage
The confessional burned out and the damage is likely to be considerable, according to the fire department. No one was injured. The cause is believed to be a technical defect in a radiant heater, according to the police.