Twelfth-century Belgian church consumed by serious fire

A fire in the church of Sint-Jan de Doper in Anzegem, Belgian has caused serious damage to the building, some of which is around 800 years old. The cause of the blaze, which broke out on the 16th October was apparently a faulty heating system.

The fire started in the nave (this video captures the collapse of its roof) but unfortunately fire crews could not stop it spreading to the east end of the church (collapse of the spire).

Although many reports have been that the church has been “completely destroyed”, it is clear that this is not the case. The town council are looking for options for its restoration as a centre with more diverse community functions.

Indeed, you can see from the videos that the blaze has completely burnt off the roofs of the building, but the outer aisle walls and arcades are still standing. The biggest concern will be consoldating the most significant part of the building, the twelfth-century Romanesque crossing tower.

Helicopter footage which shows the moment the spire collapses (no audio)

Footage from after the blaze which shows the extent of the damage

Main source: http://www.7sur7.be/7s7/fr/1502/Belgique/article/detail/2093150/2014/10/17/L-incendie-de-l-eglise-d-Anzegem-cause-par-une-installation-de-chauffage.dhtml