It is around midnight that the firefighters were warned of an outbreak of fire, on the night of Friday 26 to Saturday 27 November. Smoke came out of the presbytery of the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church, at Portel. The firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control, no casualties were to be deplored.
The start of fire would obviously not be not accidental. A source familiar with the matter told AFP that an individual had been arrested “in the act” while he “was trying to provoke“the fire. This person was”placed in custody“, said this source, stressing”a number of fires in recent weeks in churches in Boulonnais“.