A lightning strike is the cause of an early morning fire at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Norfolk Street.

Residents in the area say a loud bang woke them up before the fire started.

Fire crews were called around 9:25 a.m.

Smoke filled the steeple of the church as crews used ladders, trying to get water nearly 12 metres high.

Firefighters say there was difficulty putting out the flames because of the height.

Crews couldn’t get above the steeple so they lobbed water into it instead, trying to control the flames.

The weathervane eventually crashed to the ground.

There is significant damage to the church, the damage estimate is still under investigation.  

With reporting by Brandon Rowe