A fire destroys a sacred Buddhist hall in Japan that housed an “eternal flame,” according to reports from BBC News and The New York Times. The hall’s flame, described by spiritual leaders as being continuously lit for more than 1,200 years, is salvaged during the blaze and later moved to a different location. Authorities and reporting cited in the coverage say the fire may have been caused by the flame itself, though an official cause is not described in the provided accounts. The temple that owned the site states it transfers the flame to another location rather than extinguishing it. The New York Times reports that the flame is rescued after the fire and relocated, while BBC News notes the temple’s move and that Japan Times reporting connects the incident to the flame as a possible cause. No details are provided here about injuries, the extent of damage beyond the destruction of the hall, or the timeline of the relocation. The coverage centers on the preservation and relocation of the long-continued flame after the destruction of its housing structure.