Crews remain at the scene Friday of a fire that tore through a vacant church in Astoria, Queens Thursday night.
FDNY and emergency management officials are keeping an eye on some hot spots that may still remain.
The fire has left the church hollowed out, with its walls and roof gone. One emergency management official says the building will have to be demolished.
The church is an historic building that dates back to the 1800s. It used to house the First Reformed Church of Astoria. The Department of Buildings is figuring out how to preserve parts of it.
The fire started in the church’s rectory and went to five alarms Thursday evening, officials said. It took about three hours to put the fire out.
The aftermath of an historic church fire in Astoria, Queens on April 24, 2026.
CBS News New York
The six firefighters who were injured, including one who had bricks fall on him, have all been released after being treated.
The smoke was so strong Thursday night that CBS News New York’s Naveen Dhaliwal said it was difficult for her and her crew to get on the scene, and they needed to wear masks.
“Our units moved into two structures with multiple hand lines. Once we get into these old churches, into the walls and roof spaces, it’s very difficult to extinguish and there was a major collapse danger,” FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said.
“This church is historic, probably 1850. It was called the Dutch Reform Church and it’s been abandoned for a year, so in a way I’m not surprised there’s been a fire,” Astoria resident Dominique Perrot said. “It makes me cry.”
Area residents say it’s a loss for their community, even though the church was vacant. They say there was a strong church community here, including summer camps and weddings held at the church.
Crews will be fencing up the area as officials continue to investigate the cause.