A fire broke out on a 25-meter wooden cross in front of St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Warsaw’s Mokotów district on April 3rd.
Firefighters Respond to Blaze
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene on Friday, April 3rd, after a fire ignited on the wooden cross standing before St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Warsaw’s Mokotów district. Police secured the area.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze, with the operation completed relatively quickly, according to Radio Kolor. Footage from the scene shows firefighters battling the flames, including one using a lift to reach the structure.
Firefighters had to dismantle the metal cladding of the cross to access the interior, where potential remaining embers were located, RDC radio reported.
Possible Cause: Votive Candles
Witnesses suggest that votive candles placed in front of the cross may have been the cause of the fire. There were more candles than usual due to the April 2nd anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death.
Pope John Paul II held mass at this cross during one of his pilgrimages. “It was most likely a self-ignition, there were candles under the cross. The cross’s metal-wood construction may have contributed to the fire,” confirmed mł. asp. Jakub Filipiak of the Warsaw Police Communications Department to Onet.
Police reported no injuries, only property damage.
