New York City firefighters pulled off a miracle on Staten Island Saturday night, stopping a massive fire from consuming a historic church immortalized in cinema history. Over 200 FDNY members acted swiftly to halt the blaze from consuming the adjacent vacant warehouse, allowing the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne to stand firm despite the chaos.
This was a four-alarm emergency fueled by fierce winds that threatened to turn the entire Mount Loretto complex into an inferno. While the warehouse next door suffered catastrophic damage, the ornate Catholic church that served as the backdrop for the famous baptism scene in “The Godfather Part II” was spared. It is a relief for every New Yorker who loves our city’s history and culture.
Heavy Fire and a Collapsing Roof
The fire broke out just before 6 p.m. on Saturday in an empty warehouse at 6581 Hylan Boulevard. FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods arrived on the scene to find flames already roaring through the building. “Upon arrival, we had heavy fire throughout the building,” Woods said during a press conference Saturday evening.
The situation was dire. The warehouse, which had been vacant for five years, saw its roof give way under the intensity of the heat. Woods confirmed the severity of the structural failure, stating, “There is heavy, heavy damage to this structure, the roof did collapse, and right now we’re maintaining a collapse zone around that structure.” The fire subsequently leaped to the commercial building located at 6450 Hylan Boulevard, situated between Sharrot Avenue and Mt. Loretto.
Winds Made the Fight Harder
Wind was the enemy on Saturday night, whipping embers toward schools, a senior center, and the historic church. Woods noted that the conditions made the job incredibly difficult. “It’s very windy out here tonight,” Woods said. Many flying embers were handled well by our units, which stopped additional structures from catching fire.
Despite the gusts, the FDNY managed to keep the flames from spreading to the two schools and the senior center on the grounds. Woods reported that these facilities were “not affected by this whatsoever.” The fire was officially under control by 8:30 p.m., though crews stayed on site to handle lingering embers. Woods said firefighters continued to “put water on some of the hot spots” remaining there.
One Hero Injured in the Line of Duty
Our guys do the heavy lifting so the rest of us don’t have to worry, but sometimes they pay the price. The blaze left two people with minor injuries, including one firefighter who sustained burns to his leg. Woods informed reporters that the firefighter sustained a minor burn injury on his leg.
A 1973 blaze destroyed the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne, which the New York Times notes was rebuilt three years later, marking a long history with fire for the church. It is a proof of the resilience of this institution and the skill of the FDNY that it survived another attempt by fire to erase it. The cause of the blaze will be investigated by the Fire Marshal’s office.
This is opinion and commentary from the RapForMayor team.
