Church steeple destroyed by fire

August 16, 2007 -- Mother Nature made her mark in Swanton last night.

Lightning struck a Swanton church and flames shot through the steeple. It happened early this morning at the Holy Place Church on Church Street and Lincoln. That lightning strike had some people sitting straight up in bed. Others thought they heard gunshots. They were all surprised to see where it hit.

That lightning strike was an early-morning alarm clock for people here. Firefighters had the fire out in about an hour, with most of the damage contained to the steeple. But, insulation smouldered inside, so portions of the steeple, including the bell, were removed so firefighters could get at the insulation.

Pam Kellogg got engaged there. This morning, she saw a building with 30 years of memories go up in flames. But she said, "It's a building. It's not the church, you know, the church is fine. There's a lot of memories."

No dollar estimates yet on the church. Firefighters says the fire damage is contained to the steeple, but the rest of the church is smoke- and water-damaged.

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