Historic Lyon Lycée Engulfed in Two-Day Blaze: Firefighters Continue Marathon Battle
Lyon, April 3rd – Firefighters in Lyon are engaged in a marathon operation, battling a persistent blaze that has engulfed the historic Chartreux Institution for nearly 48 hours. The private Catholic school group, located in the Croix-Rousse district, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in the city’s 1st arrondissement. The fire, which began on Wednesday, April 1st, around 9 PM, has proved exceptionally challenging to extinguish due to the building’s ancient wooden structure and structural fragilities.
Initially, 150 boarding students were evacuated from the premises. Jean-Bernard Plessy, the institution’s director, reported that three individuals experienced minor smoke inhalation during the evacuation. He expressed concern, stating, “The fire continues to consume the last beams and planks. We hope the structure will hold.” Plessy suggested that an electrical short circuit could be the cause of the fire.
Lyon’s ecological mayor, Grégory Doucet, visited the scene on Thursday, confirming that a supervisor had been hospitalized after inhaling smoke. The mayor commended the educational teams for their composure during the incident.
Forty Firefighters Still Mobilized
As of Friday evening, the fire has been “contained and is no longer spreading” but is “still not extinguished,” according to the fire department of the Lyon metropolis and Rhône (SMDIS). They informed Le Parisien that the operation is “taking a rather favorable turn” but that teams remain “wary” as “active hotspots are still present.”
Over a hundred firefighters were initially mobilized for the intervention. Currently, forty firefighters are still on duty, with teams expected to rotate throughout the entire Easter weekend, as confirmed by the SMDIS.
The fire’s prolonged duration is primarily attributed to the significant amount of wooden materials within the edifice. The Rhône prefecture stated, “This fire requires a very delicate intervention given the age of the site and the collapsing floors. There are also several fragilities in the building’s structures.” The SMDIS added that challenging weather conditions, including strong winds, further complicated the firefighters’ task.
The Chartreux Institution, more than 200 years old, is a significant historical landmark in Lyon. Its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage site underscores the importance of preserving its structure, making the firefighting efforts even more complex and critical. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, with investigations into the exact cause of the fire expected to commence once the blaze is fully extinguished.
The incident has drawn attention to the challenges of managing fires in historic buildings, particularly those with intricate and aged constructions. While the immediate danger of spread has been mitigated, the ongoing presence of active hotspots necessitates continuous vigilance and sustained efforts from the firefighting teams.
Further updates are anticipated as the situation develops over the Easter weekend, with residents and authorities hoping for a swift and complete resolution to the fire.
Source: https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/incendie-dans-un-lycee-a-lyon-qui-dure-depuis-deux-jours-pourquoi-le-feu-nest-toujours-pas-eteint-03-04-2026-ZTA3YIOKKZEQFNQ7TMNUXG3F3Y.php
