A Christmas nativity scene, designed by a craftsman, completely destroyed by a fire in Dordogne

On the night of Friday December 27 to Saturday December 28, a fire completely destroyed the crèche installed under the village hall. The latter and the surrounding chalets did not suffer any damage thanks to the intervention of the firefighters, alerted by a motorist.

“A remarkable work”

The nativity scene, installed there every Christmas for around twenty years, was “a remarkable, trompe-l’oeil work, designed by a local craftsman,” explains Jérôme Peyrat, the mayor, on Facebook. It was traditionally set up by volunteers, with the help of municipal agents.

The municipality indicates that it will file a complaint and suspects “a voluntary act”, due to “the cold, the frost, the humidity, the absence of candles or electrical system”. However, it is impossible to confirm this at this stage. “Several vehicles passed in front of the market until 1 a.m. and their drivers saw nothing,” added the mayor, contacted by telephone the day after the disaster. “They were wooden panels, surrounded by straw and placed on pallets. The fire could only catch well,” he testifies.