Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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Lightning is believed to be the cause of a fire that burned the steeple of a historic church in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood on Thursday evening.

 the fire was reported just before 5:30 p.m. on the 500 block of Farrington Street, a block north of University Avenue. 

The steeple was engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived, but they were able to prevent the fire from spreading inside the building. No one was injured. 

There are street and sidewalk closures in the immediate area because the fire left the steeple structurally unstable. 

“There does not appear to be substantial fire damage inside,” the fire department reported. “However, the effects of interior water damage needs to be assessed.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials said lightning is suspected to have sparked the fire.

, the building is the former Trinity Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church. It dates back to 1902.

Elsewhere in Minnesota on Thursday, lightning also caused damage to a home in Cloquet.

 that the home on Washington Avenue was struck by lightning as storms moved through during the afternoon.

“CAFD crews conducted a thorough investigation and discovered significant damage to both the interior and exterior of the home, likely due to the lightning strike. Damage was also noted in the yard,” the fire district reported. There were no reports of injuries.

destroyed several buildings on the grounds of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival

 near Shakopee on Thursday night. It also happened while storms were moving through, but authorities have not said whether they believe it was sparked by lightning.

MPR News Staff

Author

Lightning is believed to be the cause of a fire that burned the steeple of a historic church in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood on Thursday evening.


The steeple of a historic church is engulfed in flames

Lightning believed to be cause of fire that burned steeple of historic St. Paul church

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