Suspected lightning strike sparks major fire at French village church

A suspected lightning strike sparked a major fire at a French church.

It happened in the commune of Descartes, situated between Tours and Poitiers, on Sunday (July 9) morning.

Around 50 firefighters were scrambled to tackle the blaze on the roof of Eglise Saint-Georges.

They prevented the fire from spreading to nearby buildings or damaging the church’s interior, although the top of the bell tower did collapse. The church’s artwork was saved and covered to prevent damage.

Nobody was injured although 15 nearby residents were evacuated.

Baptism site of renowned philosopher

The residents of Descartes – named after the philosopher René Descartes, who was born in the village back when it was called La Haye-en-Touraine – were said to be deeply attached to their local church.

Originally built in the 12th century, it was reconstructed twice – the most recent time being in the 18th century – and was a towering site, classed as a historical monument and the church where Descartes was baptised.

After heavy storms on Saturday (July 8) night, a thunderstorm hit the village on Sunday morning around 07:30.

“There was a loud clap of thunder, and we saw a lot of smoke, then flames,” said one resident.

The fire quickly engulfed the entire roof, which was still smoking almost four hours later, before eventually being put out.

Although the definite cause of the blaze has not been determined, it is likely that a lightning strike was the origin, due to the proximity of the storm just before the start of the fire.

The roof frame of the church collapsed, but the inside of the church remained relatively unscathed, with the vault surviving.

No other buildings nearby were damaged, although people from three homes were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

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