TOLEDO — A large fire significantly damaged a former church in northern Ohio on Saturday.
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The fire was reported around 6:30 a.m. at the former St. Agnes Church in Toledo, according to WTOL, a CBS affiliate.
Initial reports were that the church was on fire and heavy black smoke was coming from the roof.
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When firefighters got to the scene, there was heavy fire through the roof.
The church’s risk of a potential collapse caused firefighters to begin fighting the fire defensively.
Firefighters focused on protecting nearby homes and buildings from the fire and evacuated homes as a precaution.
The church’s steeple was deemed to be in danger of collapsing and did eventually collapse.
No injuries have been reported from the fire.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz called the fire devastating.
“While I am glad there don’t appear to be any injuries or property damage to adjacent homes, the loss of that church leaves a hole in the heart of that neighborhood,” Kapszukiewicz said in a statement. “St. Agnes was truly one of the most beautiful Churches in Toledo.”
As WTOL reported, the history of the parish traces back to 1910.
The church closed and merged with St. Catherine Parish in 2004.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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