Malicious Intent Suspected as Finnish Church Burns to Ashes on Christmas
The fire spread so quickly that authorities had no other option but to let the fire burn the church to the ground. The absence of “reasonable causes” for the blaze that occurred during the Christmas service, coupled with yet another fire nearby, spurred suspicions of "foul play." | A preliminary investigation has been launched into a fire that completely destroyed a historic wooden church in the municipality of Rautjarvi in the region of South Karelia in southern Finland. The authorities said they had “reason to suspect” that the blaze that razed the Rautjärvi church was started intentionally, which is why the incident is being looked into as a case of aggravated property damage. ● According to the Police Department of Southeastern Finland, the fire in the Rautjärvi church broke out during a Christmas service on Sunday morning. While up to 40 worshippers had attended the service, everyone ended up being safely evacuated. The damage to the wooden church, however, was massive. The fire spread so quickly that authorities had no option but to let the blaze burn the building to the ground.