An inferno engulfed a landmarked 173-year-old Brooklyn church Friday – causing the steeple to collapse.
The massive blaze erupted around 1:20 p.m. at South Bushwick Reformed Church on Bushwick Avenue near Himrod Street, the FDNY said.
Video from the scene shows heavy smoke and fire billowing from the steeple area of the building.
Less than 20 minutes after the fast-moving fire erupted, a witness reported on X that the steeple of the house of worship “collapsed,” calling the damage “a total loss.”
By that time, the massive fire had drawn a three-alarm response – with 63 FDNY units, including 192 fire and EMS personnel responding to the scene, officials said.
The flames were mostly knocked down by around 3:35 p.m., according to the FDNY. Its cause remains under investigation.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries during the response and was treated by EMS workers at the scene, but refused further medical attention, according to the department. There was no word from officials on a cause of the blaze.
The church was built in 1853, but its congregation began forming much earlier, dating back to the city’s Dutch settlements in the 17th century, according to the National Fund for Sacred Places.
The church spire faced its share of damage in August of 2020, when Tropical Storm Isaias knocked it askew, the fund said.
It had previously been repaired after damage from other storms, but the underlying cause was never fixed.
Department of Buildings records show the church was issued a violation in August of 2021 after an inspection revealed the steeple was “leaning,” with portions of the roof “hanging loose and in danger of falling.”
The church received a total of $100,000 from congregation donations combined with an Intervention Fund grant, allowing the spire repairs to be completed in 2022, according to the fund.