A lightning strike is believed to have sparked a fire that damaged the steeple of a century-old church in St. Paul.
A video posted on the St. Paul Fire Department’s Facebook page showed flames shooting from the steeple atop the Trinity Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church as crews raced to the scene in the 500 block of Farrington Street in the city’s Frogtown neighborhood.
“The official cause of the fire is still under investigation, however, a preliminary investigation suspects a lightning strike as the potential cause,” the department said.
The fire, reported about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, was extinguished and did not extend inside the building, the department said.
No injuries were reported.
Officials with the Department of Safety and Inspection blocked off sidewalks and streets around the church due to the unstable condition of the steeple. Closures will remain in effect until further assessment of the structure is completed, the Fire Department said.
The church was built in 1902, according to Historic St. Paul.
