PLEASANT PLAINS, Staten Island (WABC) — A fire at an abandoned warehouse threatened a historic church on Staten Island.
Flames broke out Saturday just before 6 p.m. on Hylan Boulevard between Sharrot Ave. and Mt. Loretto near the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne.
“Upon arrival we immediately had heavy fire throughout the building,” said FDNY Chief Kevin Woods.
Initially, a 911 caller indicated the church was burning as the building seemed to be surrounded by smoke and flames.
The landmark was spared, as were dozens of structures in the area, including two schools and a senior center. It was no small feat given there were strong winds.
“Our units did a great job with many of the flying embers, preventing additional structures from going o fire,” added Chief Woods.
The flames have been put out, but dozens of firefighters remained on scene overnight.
There was heavy damage to the structure and the roof of the warehouse collapsed.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
One firefighter was taken to the hospital with a minor injury.
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