The Reikado Hall on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning, according to authorities [1]. The hall housed the so-called eternal flame, which the temple says has been burning for nearly 1,200 years, though some sources state it has been alight for more than 1,000 years [1, 2].
The blaze was extinguished by Thursday after burning for roughly a day [1]. The cause of the fire remains unclear, but the Japan Times suggested it may have been sparked by the flame itself [1].
Despite the destruction of the hall, the temple was able to move and preserve the eternal flame by relocating it to a different site before the fire consumed the building [1]. The flame has long been a sacred symbol linked to Buddhist rituals on the island.
Reikado Hall has faced fire before; it also burned down in 2005, though the eternal flame was again preserved and survived that incident [1].
Officials continue to investigate the precise origin of the fire and plans to rebuild the Reikado Hall have not yet been announced.
