A historic Brooklyn church caught on fire on Friday, bringing over 60 units and close to 200 emergency personnel to the scene, according to the city Fire Department.
FDNY members responded to a fire at the South Bushwick Reformed Church on Friday afternoon. Units arrived within three minutes of receiving the call and quickly encountered a heavy fire condition, according to the FDNY via X.
Within 20 minutes, the incident escalated to a third alarm, bringing a response of 63 units and 192 EMS and fire personnel. Members remained on scene extinguishing pockets of fire and protecting surrounding exposures, according to the FDNY.
Built in 1853, South Bushwick Reformed Church is a Dutch Reformed church that combines Greek Revival style with a Georgian-inspired tower and steeple, according to the National Fund for Sacred Places. The original congregation was made up of 20 families from neighboring farms. Today, the church is one of only eight wooden landmarked houses of worship in New York City.
The church, currently used by the South Bushwick Community Church, is believed to have been unoccupied at the time of the fire, and no unusual operational challenges were encountered during firefighting operations. There was no indication of suspicious activity at the scene, the FDNY said.
The cause remains under investigation.
