Other MoA event in Pas-de-Calais, Saint-Omer area, France on Sun 1st September 2024

On the night of Sunday 1 to Monday 2 September 2024, a violent fire devastated the 1859 Église de l’Immaculée-Conception in Saint-Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. The fire caused the bell tower to collapse and led to the evacuation of dozens of local residents. The city’s mayor, François Decoster, described the event as a tragedy for the local community.

The fire broke out in the sacristy of the building shortly after 4 a.m. and quickly spread to the side aisle, the nave and finally to the bell tower and the roof, which collapsed under the intensity of the flames. Some 90 fire brigades from Saint-Omer and the surrounding areas responded promptly and, despite the extent of the fire, managed to contain it by 7.30 a.m. As a precaution, 57 residents in the vicinity were evacuated from their homes and temporarily accommodated at the café ‘Le petit Saint-Pierre’, located opposite the church. The causes of the fire are not yet known and an investigation has been opened.