At half past nine on Christmas morning, in the middle of an ongoing service, the emergency services were called to the historic wooden church.

According to the priest, who discovered the fire from the pulpit, first smoke and then fire must have penetrated through the main entrance.

According to early information from both visitors on site and to local media, the church's doors must have been tied together with rope, something that the police have now confirmed.

- There are several signs that indicate that the church fire was started.

The fire spread quickly, indicating that it had not started from natural causes.

Some of the church's doors were also tied with strings from the outside, says Mika Salminen, the criminal inspector responsible for the investigation, reports Yle.

There may be a connection with the burned down villa

The same morning that the wooden church burned down, a villa about three miles from the church also burned down.

In connection with the investigation of the plot around the burned-down house, the police found a body.

The police have currently not confirmed any connection between the events, but suspect that at least one of the fires was started.

- We remain open to all possibilities, and are waiting for the technical investigation to progress in order to get further answers, says Mika Salminen.

The police have not yet established whether it is one or more perpetrators.

However, the public in the areas of Rautjärvi and Imatra have been asked for tips about a burgundy Opel Astra hatchback from 2020. They have also asked for tips about a thin man aged 60-80 years.

When the Finnish press asks if the person who died in the house fire could be the perpetrator in the church fire, the police refer to confidentiality.

There have been threats in the past

The church in Rautjärvi has previously been subjected to threats, albeit relatively harmless threats according to the police.

The sender has usually been someone mentally ill or someone who intended to joke.

The police are now investigating whether there may be a connection between previous threats and the Christmas Day fires.

The police have also asked the defense forces for help in keeping the burnt-down church cordoned off, so that no evidence can be destroyed.

Around 30 people are said to have been in the church when it caught fire on Christmas Day.

All managed to get out and no one is said to have been physically injured in the fire.