Zlín welder admits to safety violations in school roof fire

Libor Jurčík, a welder and executive at the company Zlínmat, has admitted in court to violating safety regulations that led to a major fire at the Secondary School of Pedagogy and Social Studies in Zlín.

The fire occurred on November 10 last year while Jurčík and a colleague were using a torch to melt asphalt strips on the school's roof. According to prosecutor Petra Kašíková, the fire ignited the wooden roof structure. Jurčík admitted to unilaterally shortening the required post-work fire watch from the mandatory eight hours to just 120 minutes, stating he believed that duration was sufficient.

The incident caused approximately 14.7 million CZK in damages and required the evacuation of about one hundred people. While Jurčík expressed regret for the incident and noted that no one was injured, he contested the total amount of damages cited in the indictment. He faces up to eight years in prison for causing general danger through negligence.