The fire, which broke out in the altar room at 21.45, licked and burnt down the wooden house – one of the oldest in the city.

Initial investigation showed that burning votive papers in the altar room was the main cause of the fire.  

The wooden part of the house has been deteriorating for years, but nothing was ever done to restore it. The fire left two households homeless and total damage was estimated at tens of millions of Vietnamese Dong.

Built in the late 19^th century, the house has been listed among the oldest in Hanoi that need to be preserved at any cost.