National
Bishop's Palace destroyed by fire in La Laguna, Tenerife
By m.p. - Jan 23, 2006 - 11:44 PM
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The Bishop’s Palace on the island Tenerife has been completely destroyed by fire.
The fire began on the second floor of the seventeenth century Casa de Salazar on Calle San Agustín in La Laguna, and quickly spready through the rest of the building, before it was brought under control five hours later.
The fire-fighting operation, which involved 50 firemen and two helicopters, was complicated by the fact that a large part of the building is wood-constructed.
The building was of great architectural importance and was on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The fire broke out in a library on the same floor as the Bishop’s private residence. Church dignatories were meeting in a nearby conference room, but, fortunately none of them was injured.
Two nearby buildings were also affected: the Diocese Library, and offices of the Spanish equivalent of the Open University – the UNED.
Authorities belive that the most likely cause was a short circuit.