Lightning rods are called lightning rods but they are not actually designed to take a strike head on.

They are actually designed to remove charge from the clouds above where the rod is installed.

Static electrons loves to congregate in small places, I.e. the tip of a needle or the edge or fold in a piece of metal (can help the paint job add extra paint to those places it is needed most, bonus!)

Anyway a lightning rod is probably the best protection but yeah the copper would vapourise if it.was actually hit, causing a fire.