Firefighters rushed yesterday to put out blazes at three churches in the northeastern Austrian town of Amstetten, authorities said, adding that they suspected arsonists were to blame.

Police official Erich Rosenbaum said that preliminary investigations “very clearly” suggested a criminal motive behind the fires.

A diocese official told a Catholic news service that no one was injured, and he said preliminary findings had found no evidence of a political attack.

The first fire burned the confessional and five rows of seats.

Meanwhile, blazes broke out at two other churches as firefighters tackled the initial incident.