A fire completely destroyed the historic Église de Saint-Romain in the small village of Saint-Romain in Québec last week.

The fire was reported at 18:30 local time. When the fire brigade arrived, the church was already fully ablaze. Within an hour, the distinctive bell tower collapsed into the building. No persons were injured.

Cause of the fire unknown

The church, which is located in the heart of the village, was a cultural and historical landmark. Construction began in 1934 and it was designed by the architect Joseph-Aimé Poulin. It has been a gathering point for the local community for over 90 years. Local residents expressed deep sorrow:

– My heart aches. This is a historic monument that is disappearing, said a woman, describing how the flames spread “as in a box of matches”.

The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation by the police and the fire brigade. So far, no information has emerged indicating that the fire was deliberately set, but it is being treated as suspicious in light of a number of church fires in Québec and Canada in recent years.

CANADA 🇨🇦

Another church fire

Saint-Romain in Quebec was almost 100 years old and is now completely destroyed pic.twitter.com/YdZD8aoFmZ

— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) April 15, 2026

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