Greater Sudbury Fire Services hasn't yet determined a cause for an overnight fire at Grace United Church on Bancroft Drive that caused “significant” damage to the structure.
Platoon Chief Tyler Popowich said firefighters were called out to the church at around 6 p.m. during the summer storm that hit the city about a possible lightning strike. Eyewitnesses told Sudbury.com that firefighters checked the church, including the roof of the structure, but then left a short time later.
The fire service was called back to the church a few hours later — at around 9 p.m. —when neighbours saw that the 78-year-old building was on fire.
The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office has been contacted, but whether or not the agency will do an investigation has not been decided.
It took firefighters about five or six hours to put out the blaze. There were no injuries.
“We do still have a crew on scene,” said Platoon Chief Robin Charbonneau shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday. “They're just checking for hotspots.”
Fire services hasn't yet come up with a damage estimate, but “it's significant,” he said.
The fire's cause is still under investigation, said both Charbonneau and Popowich.
Popowich said he doesn't know if there's a connection between the lightning and the fire.
"I have the OFM (Ontario Fire Marshal) investigator coming," he said around 8:30 a.m.. "That's where I'm headed right now, to go and meet with him and and piece everything together that we're not clear on."
Greater Sudbury Police said on Twitter late Wednesday night that they were at the scene of the fire.
There were some restrictions to traffic in the area, and motorists were asked to use alternate routes. Police said the roadway was clear just before 3 a.m.
Until recently, Grace United Church was known as St. Luke's United Church.
The congregations of St. Luke's and Trinity United Church amalgamated in January 2018, and made the former St. Luke's building their home. According to the church's website, the church building was completed in 1941.
