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Industrial Palace fire

The Industrial Palace fire destroyed the left wing of the Industrial Palace at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on the evening of 16 October 2008.[1] It was one of the largest fires in the modern history of the city.[3]*

Course of the fire

The fire was reported shortly after 7 p.m. At 19:29 firefighters declared the third alarm level, and a quarter of an hour later the special level. All nine stations of the Prague Fire Rescue Service took part, together with 25 volunteer units from the city districts and reserves from the Central Bohemian Region. More than 270 firefighters with 67 vehicles worked on site in shifts.[1] For the first time in history it was decided to call out all Prague units.[3] The fire was brought under control at 20:46; it was declared fully extinguished only on 17 October at 19:22.[1] Two firefighters were injured by radiant heat, and one of them was taken to hospital.[1]

Cause and spread

The cause was negligence: a hotplate cooker was accidentally switched on.[2] The cooker ignited flammable objects in the kitchenette of one of the exhibition stands.[3] The spread was helped by alterations from the 1950s, when the original steel structure with glass infill was clad with wooden boarding, later covered with aluminium.[5] Police closed the case after more than six months.[3]

Aftermath

The left wing burned down, while the central hall and right wing were saved. Firefighters put the direct damage at CZK 557 million and the value saved at CZK 500 million.[2] Rebuilding of the burned section began in 2022.[4] The palace with its new left wing opened on 24 September 2026.[6]

Sources

  1. Hasičovo.cz — 2025-10-16
  2. TZB-info — 2017-12-27
  3. Pražský deník — 2018-10-16
  4. Pražský deník — 2022-02-01
  5. Prima Zoom — 2025-06-08
  6. ČT24 — 2026-09-24

* The sources are collected and the preliminary text of this entry is drafted with artificial intelligence, on the instruction of the editorial staff; the entry has not yet been verified by an editor — report a mistake.