Overview

• The Chapel of the Anunciación’s roof collapsed and an adjacent storage chapel sustained smoke damage, with the main structure of the UNESCO site unharmed.
• Firefighters contained the blaze within hours, crediting years of specialized training and annual in-situ drills for their rapid, targeted response.
• The Mezquita-Catedral reopened to visitors Saturday after authorities secured the roughly 25-meter zone around the damaged chapels.
• Policía Científica investigators have collected evidence in the storage chapel and preliminary inquiries suggest a short circuit in an electrically powered cleaning machine, with a first report due this week.
• The Cabildo Catedralicio plans to install an interior water mist suppression system this autumn to strengthen fire protection for the monument.