Fire devastates historic wooden church in Posta, Maramureș

A powerful blaze broke out around 4:00 a.m. on Friday at the 17th‑century wooden church of St. Ilie in the village of Posta, Maramureș County, Romania. The flames engulfed the entire structure, including its approximately 25‑metre‑high steeple, spreading over roughly 200 square metres and creating an imminent risk of collapse.

Three firefighting vehicles, a ladder truck, a water‑supply tanker and two SMURD emergency teams were dispatched. The fire was fully extinguished after about four hours. No injuries were reported. The church, built of oak around 1675 and listed as a historic monument, suffered severe damage; investigators will determine the cause of the fire.