page_title: Riga Castle
section_title: 2013 fire incident
hierarchical_section_title: Riga Castle / 2013 fire incident
caption_attribution_description: English: The sight of Riga Castle burning.
context_page_description: Riga Castle is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The castle was founded in 1330. Its structure was thoroughly rebuilt between 1497 and 1515. Upon the castle's seizure by the Swedes, they constructed spacious annexes in 1641. The fortress was continually augmented and reconstructed between the 17th and 19th centuries. Sometime in the 1930s, some renovation work was done by architect Eižens Laube. The Latvian government declared the castle its residence in 1938. Today it is the official residence of the President of Latvia as well as home to several museums.
context_section_description: The builders who worked on the reconstruction of the Riga Castle, which began in December 2012, left work at 18:45. Around 22:21 on the night of 20 June 2013, fire broke out in the castle and the firefighters were called in. The castle was guarded by the military police.
  After midnight authorities declared the fire reached the highest level, being seen across the Daugava river . Around 1 a.m., the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) reported that 79 rescuers, 11 tanks, 3 ladders, 1 platform and 3 specialized vehicles were involved in the operation, and that one firefighter, who was poisoned by the smoke, had been hospitalized. Shortly before 2 a.m, the roof of the castle was no longer visible, engulfed by the flames. At 3:53 in the morning the source of the fire was spotted, and at 4:45 a.m. the traffic was restored on the embankment 11. Novembra, between Akmens and Vanšu bridges.
  The Riga agency of State Fire and Rescue Service gathered all resources available, including aid from the Jūrmala fire department. The military police Corporal Alvis Brūveris lowered the Latvian flag in the castle, to be raised back on Friday by the senior military policeman First Class Officer Aldis Dortāns. Latvian President Andris Bērziņš described the fire as a "national disaster" during a morning visit to inspect the damage.
caption: Sight of dozens gathering outside the castle while firefighters are fighting the blaze.
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