Fire in Braväcovo was deliberate according to police. The same location was burning already in May

A nighttime fire that affected ten buildings in the village of Braväcovo in Brezno district was deliberately set according to a preliminary statement by the fire investigator. The Regional Directorate of the Police Force in Banská Bystrica launched criminal proceedings for the crime of general endangerment; it has not yet informed about the detention or indictment of any specific person. The municipality declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and five family houses affected by the fire remain uninhabitable. teraz.sk ↗

Fire spread down the street within minutes

The fire was reported to the emergency line on Friday, August 7, shortly after 11:45 p.m. as a burning family house with outbuildings. From that moment, the fire spread down the street so quickly that firefighters upon arrival faced a fully developed fire. bystricoviny.sk ↗

"Upon arrival at the scene, the fire was already fully developed. The fire spread very rapidly. We managed to save one family house on the lower side and one on the upper side," described operation commander Jakub Štulrajter. A substantial part of the affected buildings consisted of wooden cottages — a village resident told public television that her house was built by her grandparents and is now home to the fifth generation of the family. STVR ↗

Mayor Peter Baliak described that the fire spread to neighboring houses in approximately fifteen minutes. "I ran out there in my pajamas. Other people were also there in pajamas and robes. We were all defenseless," he said, noting that despite the rapid arrival of equipment, the fire spread further through the outbuildings. "Over the last 100 years, people have not experienced such a fire here," he added. Plus JEDEN DEŇ ↗

Ultimately, 33 members of the HaZZ responded with 17 pieces of equipment and 26 volunteer firefighters with nine pieces of equipment. They came from stations in Brezno, Závadka nad Hronom, Banská Bystrica, Zvolen, Revúca, Pliešovce, and Liptovský Mikuláš, joined by volunteer units from Brezno and seven surrounding villages. One person was intoxicated by combustion fumes. Nový Čas ↗

Video footage from the scene taken on Saturday by Plus JEDEN DEŇ newspaper captures the extent of destruction on the street.

Police speak of intent, village recalls May

Saturday brought a significant development. "According to the preliminary statement of the fire cause investigator, who was on site, the fire was deliberately set," said Petra Kováčiková, spokesperson for the Regional Directorate of the Police Force in Banská Bystrica. She emphasized that all further circumstances and the exact cause will be the subject of further investigation. Police launched criminal proceedings for the crime of general endangerment. SITA ↗

Meanwhile, an unverified rumor has spread through the village that someone local could be behind the fire. One of the residents who helped fight the fire told Plus JEDEN DEŇ that in early May, there was a fire at the same location — in the outbuilding near the house where, according to him, the current fire also broke out, and at approximately the same nighttime hour. "There were also threats afterward. We have a suspicion about someone from the village. We cannot claim that. That is for the police to investigate," he said. The mayor distanced himself from specific names: "There are many rumors, theories, and opinions." Plus JEDEN DEŇ ↗

This should be read carefully. Police have only informed about a preliminary conclusion that the fire was set deliberately — not about who set it. No one has been detained or charged, and the connection to the May fire is so far only a claim by residents, not a finding of the investigator.

Five houses, two families living there year-round

The fire affected five family houses and five outbuildings, with direct material damage estimated at 400,000 euros. According to the mayor, two of the houses were occupied year-round, while the others served as vacation cottages. However, all remain uninhabitable. teraz.sk ↗

Among the most damaged, according to locals, is the house of a young family with a small daughter. The owners had been renovating it for approximately eleven years, but it will apparently need to be demolished. The daughter was not home during the fire. Plus JEDEN DEŇ ↗

Municipality collecting funds, housing not yet needed

The local government declared a state of emergency on Saturday and began clearing the fire's aftermath — removing damaged roof and wall sections and sorting through the remains of the outbuildings. The mayor expected work to be completed Saturday evening. teraz.sk ↗

The municipality offered emergency housing to the affected, but so far no one has requested it — people found shelter with families, friends, and acquaintances in Braväcovo and neighboring villages. The local government is establishing a transparent account and announcing a financial collection; the account number on its website had not yet been published by Saturday evening. teraz.sk ↗

Drought may have accelerated spread, investigation addresses cause

The District Headquarters of the HaZZ in Brezno declared a period of increased fire danger for the entire district starting July 28. Braväcovo Municipality ↗

This measure may explain the risk of rapid fire spread in dry wooden buildings, but not its origin by itself. If the investigator's preliminary conclusion of deliberate arson is confirmed, drought would be an accelerating factor rather than the cause in this case.

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