NS church is looking for temporary accommodation after a lightning strike causes a fire

Pastor Gail Whalen-Dunn of Falmouth Baptist Church was home Thursday afternoon when she received a text message that the church tower had been struck by lightning and was on fire.

She said several fire engines and firefighters were already on the scene when she and her husband arrived 20 minutes later.

There was already a ladder truck, but because of the height of the tower, another ladder truck had to be called up.

Whalen-Dunn said the fire was largely contained to the spire of the 150-year-old Hants County Church, but she said there is extensive water damage to other parts of the building.

The services will have to be held elsewhere, perhaps for the rest of the year. The church held Sunday services at Harvest House in Windsor.

Whalen-Dunn said the church is wooden and old and “ripe for fire”.

“If the fire got out of control, it would probably burn very quickly,” she said. “I’m happy that they have to pump so much water to save the church and the houses around us.”

Repairs can take up to 6 months

Whalen-Dunn said there is extensive water damage to the balcony, foyer and sanctuary. A lot of water ended up in the basement.

Walls will have to be stripped and floors removed to make repairs, she said. It can take up to six months.

Whalen put it into perspective.

“With everything that’s going on in our county and the number of people who have lost their homes and the need to rebuild, I’m fine with that,” she said. “I’d rather see people rebuild their homes.”

She said decisions need to be made about where services will be held until repairs can be completed. About 50 people attend the services in the church

She said firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and then let her in to inspect the building.

“I want to thank them very, very much from the bottom of our hearts and from our congregation,” she said.

Intense thunder

Windsor fire chief Jamie Juteau said there was an intense thunderstorm in the area at the time.

He said his crew was responding to a lightning strike in a nearby home and apartment building when they heard about the church fire.

He said the crew first tackled the fire on the spire and then went inside to make sure the fire hadn’t spread to the rest of the building.

Juteau said measures have been taken to reduce damage to the interior.

“We’re laying down sails … to divert the water to the outside of the building,” he said.

“If there was anything, artifacts or things like that, from the church that could be brought out, we would put firefighters at the pastor’s disposal to facilitate that.”