Lightning struck the tallest tower of Tampere Orthodox Church on Saturday afternoon, starting a fire inside the bell tower while a joint baptism and wedding ceremony was taking place inside the protected church in central Tampere.
The strike hit the church shortly after 5pm during a thunderstorm. According to the Pirkanmaa Rescue Department and the Tampere Orthodox Parish, the lightning ignited wooden structures inside the upper section of the tower.
Fire crews remained at the site until late in the evening before bringing the fire under control.
No injuries were reported.
The fire remained inside the highest section of the tower and did not spread into the rest of the building. Parish officials said on Sunday that they expect the structural damage to remain limited, although the lightning damaged the church’s electrical and alarm systems.
The church, which dates from the late 19th century, holds protected status.
Firefighters faced difficulties reaching the top of the tower because their own lifting equipment was not tall enough. The rescue service brought in a larger boom lift from a private company to reach the damaged section of the roof.
During the operation, crews removed the steel cross from the top of the dome to prevent it from falling and to allow firefighters access to the roof structure beneath it. Parts of the dome covering also had to be opened and sections dismantled so crews reached the smouldering fire hidden inside the structure.
According to the Pirkanmaa Rescue Department, new support structures will now be installed as repair work begins on the damaged dome.
The rescue operation continued until around 11pm.
The parish kept a member of staff at the church throughout the night to carry out the required fire watch after emergency crews left the site.
The lightning struck while worshippers attended a combined baptism and wedding service.
According to reporting by Ilta-Sanomat, the ceremony continued after the initial shock despite the power disruption inside the church.
The Tampere Orthodox Parish said the overall situation remained calm throughout the incident and that nobody inside the church faced immediate danger.
According to the rescue service, the brick construction between the tower and the rest of the church prevented the fire from spreading into the main building.
The church will remain closed while repairs continue and damaged systems are restored.
HT