August 1st Fireworks set fire to the Spycher in Oberwangen

A Spycher used as an event venue in Oberwangen burnt down on Friday night. The Bernese cantonal police cite fireworks as the cause of the fire.

The fire broke out shortly before midnight, according to the Bern cantonal police. Over 40 firefighters were deployed. The building was completely destroyed. The police have started an investigation and the cause of the fire is known.

The Spycher on Herzwilstrasse was used by the Oberwangen gymnastics club. The ruins of the fire and the Brätliplatz in front of the Spycher are closed until further notice, the club announced on its website.

The Spycher, which was built around 1500, was a listed building, as can be read on a plaque on the building before the fire. In 1972, the Spycher was to make way for the highway, but was then saved and rebuilt in a new location.

Noise and damage to property

Around the national holiday, the operations centers received around 170 reports, mostly relating to disturbances, damage to property and small fires, for example in garbage cans or containers.

Occasionally, fires were also reported, but these turned out to be August 1st fires.