Devastating New York City fire burns 19th-century church, a 'beloved' institution

A six-alarm fire on Saturday all but destroyed a historic 120-year-old church in New York City's East Village.

The fire also decimated an abandoned building, which was already in poor shape following a fire earlier this year, and it left a nearby building damaged, according to the New York Fire Department.

The fire began around 5 a.m. and firefighters arrived at the scene in three minutes, said New York Fire Department Assistant Chief John Hodgens.

“We had heavy fire showing from the corner building,” he said in a statement shared on Instagram early Saturday. “We quickly transmitted additional alarms to get more help here. We knew this was going to be a big operation.”

Video from the fire posted shortly after FDNY arrived showed a sea of red and orange smoke, with the church still standing but the building in front of it engulfed in flames.

The fire eventually spread to the Middle Collegiate Church, which is located right behind the building. The church, built in 1891, is a Protestant Reformed ministry with an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity. It brands itself on its website as a place "to heal the soul and the world by dismantling racist, classist, sexist, and homophobic systems of oppression."

By late Saturday morning, New York firefighters had taken out much of the fire, according to local reporters at the scene. 

But the wreckage was severe, both for the church and the building, Hodgens said, describing both as “total losses," the New York Daily News reported.

At least four firefighters were injured, Hodgens said. It remains unclear what caused the initial fire.

“We are devastated and crushed that our beloved physical sanctuary at Middle Collegiate Church has burned. And yet no fire can stop Revolutionary Love,” said Middle Collegiate Church’s Rev. Jacqui Lewis in a statement. “We thank God that there has been no loss of life.”

Follow Joshua Bote on Twitter: @joshua_bote.