Fire, fire Police do not rule out crime after fire in Zurich's old town
Following a major fire in a historic building in Zurich's old town on Monday night, the police have not ruled out the possibility of foul play. The building is in danger of collapsing. The masonic lodge in the basement was unharmed by the fire, but there was water damage.
26.01.2026, 11:17
26.01.2026, 14:53
SDA
The alarm was received by the Zurich Protection and Rescue Operations Center after 1 am. When the emergency services arrived on the scene shortly afterwards, the attic was fully engulfed in flames, as Jan Bauke, on-call officer from Schutz und Rettung Zürich, told a Keystone-SDA photographer at the scene on Monday morning.
There was a danger that the fire could spread to other buildings. But this was successfully prevented, said Bauke. The post-fire extinguishing and clean-up work proved to be labor-intensive and lasted into the afternoon.
The building is in danger of collapsing after the fire, which is why the emergency services did not enter the building for around an hour after the fire broke out. The same applied to the fire investigators. By the time the fire investigators were able to enter, the evidence had most likely burned away, according to Bauke.
Burglary in an outbuilding
The authorities have not yet been able to provide any information on the possible cause of the fire. The Freemasons' Lodge was spared from the fire, but according to Bauke, water damage was caused by the extinguishing work. In the event of a collapse, however, the masonic lodge would probably also have been affected.
Zurich freemasons told the media that they suspected arson and reported a possible break-in to the building. At the request of Keystone-SDA, a spokesperson for the Zurich city police said: "The investigations are going in all directions, but an offense cannot be ruled out.
During the investigation into the fire, a break-in into an outbuilding was reported, the Zurich city police wrote in a press release. Whether this break-in is connected to the fire is also being investigated.
Artworks probably all burnt
According to the police officer, there were works of art on the first floor that were "presumably all burnt". According to the city police, the property damage caused by the fire amounted to several hundred thousand francs. No one was injured. Most of the residents of the surrounding buildings were able to get themselves to safety.
The building affected is the "Modestia cum Libertate". It serves as a masonic center. The "Modestia cum Libertate" is the oldest and, with more than 120 members, the largest lodge in Zurich. Five years ago, it celebrated its 250th anniversary. Women are not admitted.
Freemasonry is a fraternal community. It meets regularly and also holds ceremonies. There is a duty of confidentiality regarding the proceedings of the meetings. Even who belongs to the lodge is secret.
