A fire that broke out overnight into Sunday at the open-air Museum of Folk Architecture in Sanok, southeastern Poland, gutted a historic wooden church dating back to 1667 before fire crews brought the blaze under control. Security guards at the heritage park raised the alarm at 1:20 a.m. after detecting a fire at the St. Nicholas Church, originally from the village of Bączal Dolny. The church contained two antique organs even older than the building itself, museum director Marcin Krowiak told a press conference on Sunday morning. Around 140 firefighters were dispatched to the scene to tackle the fire, which had already completely engulfed the church and threatened about 10 other wooden buildings within a 50-meter radius, a fire service spokesperson said. “Unfortunately, as far as the sacred building is concerned, neither the building nor the church's interior fittings could be saved,” Krowiak said. 'Irreparable loss’ Asked about the value of the damage, Krowiak described the church as “priceless” and an architectural gem of the local Podkarpackie region. “To us, it is an irreparable loss,” he added. From the church, the fire spread to two other buildings nearby—a 19th-century cottage from the village of Niebocko, and a barn, Krowiak said. The barn was completely destroyed, while the cottage sustained damage to its roof, though fire crews managed to save its interior. Local police said the site would be inspected by investigators at 11 a.m. on Sunday to collect evidence with a view to establishing the cause of the fire. The museum, which showcases around 200 historic buildings from the region, has been closed until further notice.
