Church burned down in Finland – arson suspected

A 141-year-old church has burned to the ground near the Russian border. The police suspect that the fire was arson.

It was in the middle of a service on Christmas Day that the fire alarm suddenly went off in a church in Finland. From the church altar, the priest first saw smoke and then flames that spread at record speed.

The church was located in Rautjärvi, a town near the south-eastern border with Russia.

The emergency services were notified of the fire at around nine thirty on Sunday morning. A crew of 20 people was sent to the scene, according to the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.

Around 30 people were in the church when the fire broke out. None of them were injured. However, the old wooden church, which was built in 1881, could not be saved.

Less than two hours later, a message came in that a detached house was also on fire in Torsanjärvi, around 30 kilometers away, Ilta-Sanomat reports.

A person has been found dead near the house. Finnish police have not identified the person, but are now investigating whether the person lived in the home or not – and whether the two fires are related.

Suspect criminal activity

Finnish police suspect that the church fire was started on purpose. According to several media, they state that indications of a “possible crime” have been found at the site.

According to the fire service and witnesses from the church, the fire spread extremely quickly, which suggests that the fire was set, writes ERR.

Among other things, they are asking the public for tips regarding a burgundy Opel Astra, which could possibly be related to the two fires.

– The investigation into the incident in Rautjärvi is only in the initial phase, but the police will start a preliminary investigation in connection with the fire, says Harri Horttainen from South East Finland’s police in a press release.

The retired priest Kari Luumi was present during the service when the church caught fire. According to him, employees must have discovered that two of the doors were closed from the outside with string.

– Fortunately, they were loose enough to push them up, so to an ordinary person this looks like arson, says Luumi.

– This makes the situation even more difficult. It causes bad mood and anger, to be honest.

– Then the tower collapses

Linda Maria Wilen-Veijalainen, who is the closest neighbor to the church, witnessed the building burn down.

– I couldn’t see everything because there was so much equipment from the emergency services in front, but the church was on fire. I saw that there were open flames and that the tower was collapsing, she told Iltalethi.

Leena Haakana, leader of the local congregation, tells Iltalehti that they are shocked by the fire.

Timo Kälviläinen, who was in the middle of the sermon when the fire broke out, told STT that the evacuation of the church was painless.

Twice before, the church in Rautjãrvi, which belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Finland, has burned down: The first was set on fire during the Finnish-Russian war in 1741–43. Church number two was destroyed in 1872.