Lightning strikes library clock tower

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A bolt of lightning hit the clock tower above the town library on Tuesday afternoon last week, starting a small but brief fire and causing some damage to the roof.

Firefighters extinguish a small fire on the roof of the Uxbridge Public Library on July 21. Photo by Susan Gallé

Fire chief Mike MacDonald said "a very small fire" started at the peak of the tower but it was quickly extinguished using hoses from the ground. The aerial ladder truck was brought in to allow firefighters to place a tarp over the hole in the roof, pending repairs. The tarp was replaced the following day with a better cover.

MacDonald said there was obvious damage to the shingles and some pieces of wood were blown out, with some landing across the street but there was little water damage inside - and the clock continued running.

When the lightning hit, children were attending a library summer camp, and they were quickly taken to the township hall.

"The library staff did a phenomenal job evacuating the kids," MacDonald said.

The fire chief said the fire department pre-plans response to certain structures in town and the library had been part of the pre-planning.

He noted that this was not the first time the tower has been hit by lightning, the last time being in 1986.

Library manager Corrinne Morrison confirmed the 1986 hit, noting it was mentioned in a small book created by the library at the time to celebrate the re-installation of the clock hands and the donation of a new carillon. She said the insurer and a restoration company are currently evaluating the damage but there are no estimates yet on how much the repairs will cost.

The library was closed to the public for a couple of days and a couple of library camps were transferred to the municipal offices. By Friday, connectivity services had been restored and library services had fully resumed.