A Manhattan Cathedral Goes Up In Flames Hours After Greek Easter Service

A massive 4-alarm fire has consumed the Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava in New York this evening. The historic, 161-year-old church had firefighters called to it at 6:49 p.m. and in the next two hours would have the blaze escalate from a 3-alarm fire to a 4-alarm fire. According to Business Insider, there are currently 170 firefighters and 39 units at the scene.

The gorgeous structure, part of the Trinity Chapel Complex off Broadway, was designed in 1850 and consecrated in 1855 was a landmark for religious events in its long history. It had the first Orthodox liturgy held in an Episcopal church in America, something and became the first Serbian Orthodox Church in metropolitan New York in 1937. After World War 2, the church became an important meeting place for Serbians and a helpful center for Yugoslavian immigrants. In 1968, it was recognized as a national landmark. It’s currently unknown if anyone was inside when the fire broke out.

The FDNY has released videos of their efforts. You can see that the entire roof has caved in, and the historic stained glass is now gone.

More videos are emerging as the night goes on. The flames are horrific.

https://twitter.com/AskWass/status/726914057597521920

(Via TheDailyBeast)