Fire destroys much of Grace United Church in Sudbury

Reverend Erin Todd was preaching at a different church yesterday evening, when she got a call from a parishioner, telling her the church's spire had been hit by lightning.

"It's funny, because, I often joke with people when I go on holidays, 'Don't call me unless someone dies or the church gets struck by lightning,'" she says.

Greater Sudbury's acting deputy fire chief, Jesse Oshell, says firefighters arrived at the church at around 6:30 pm and saw some minor damage to the roof from what appeared to be a lightning strike, but no smoke or fire.

He says crews then left and responded to several other thunderstorm-related calls in the city, including a house in the south end of Sudbury that caught on fire after its chimney was hit by lightning.

Oshell says firefighters were called back to Grace United at around 9 p.m. with reports of flames and smoke.

"Lightning strikes can be quite mysterious on their own and the damage they can do, those affects might not show up for hours later, as they did in this situation," he says.

Buildings in Ontario are not required to have lightning protection systems and Robert Cliff from the Dundas-based Dominion Lightning Rod Company estimates that less than 0.1 per cent of homes and businesses have them.

The Ontario Fire Marshall's office is investigating to determine what caused the fire.

There is no estimate of damage yet, but much of the churchbuilding burned, leaving only the facade facing Bancroft Drive largely untouched.

"I'm not sure there's much there to save," says Rev. Todd, whose parents were married in the church.

"It's absolutely devastating."

The church opened in 1941 and was known as St. Luke's until last year when it merged with Trinity United in Garsonand formed a new congregation under the new name.

Todd, who has been the minister there for the past 10 years, says it has always been a "neighbourhood church," with the community hall being home to a nursery school, as well as hosting everything from quilting clubs to addiction support groups.

"What happens now is Grace United Church continues to be the welcoming, warm faith community it's always been," she says.

"I know we will continue and we will go on. My first priority today is to figure out how that happens."