Dennis church loses spire to lightning strike

DENNIS – A lightning strike demolished the spire of the Dennis Union Church’s steeple on Route 6A in Dennis Village Friday night.

Only at dawn’s first light on Saturday did firefighters at Dennis Station 2, adjacent to the church, realize the spire had been struck. The roof and lawn area around the church was littered with fragments. A portion of the wind vane was on the roof with the rest lying on the ground below.

On Saturday morning the Dennis Fire Department dispatched Ladder 110 to the scene so firefighters could inspect the damage and remove the shattered wreckage. There were fears that the remnants of the spire could fall unexpectedly, posing a danger to those walking below.

Firefighters saw no sign of fire, speculating that the torrential rains accompanying the storm prevented any possible ignition. They did find a bird’s nest.

The steeple clock was frozen in time at around 11:22, the apparent instant of the lightning strike.

The Town of Dennis building and electrical inspectors were called to the scene to determine the extent of damage to the building.

The Dennis Union Church was built in 1838 according to the church’s website. The file photo below taken in 2008 shows the steeple in happier times. Dennis Fire Department Station 2 is to the left of the church building.