Crews battle multi-alarm church fire in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
More than 100 firefighters and emergency personnel battled a multi-alarm fire that broke out inside a historic Brooklyn church Wednesday morning.
The fire broke out in the Pentecostal church Arca Cristiana located at Halsey Street, between Central and Wilson avenues, just after 10:30 a.m. in Bushwick, according to the FDNY.
The fire apparently started on the first floor, according to fire officials, and would eventually spread to bring the bell tower and second floor level down as a result.
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WATCH HEREThere were no reported injuries, the fire department said, adding that 25 units totaling 106 fire and EMS personnel are on scene.
FDNY members are currently operating at a 3-alarm fire on Halsey Street in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/XR9Hg129Rg
— FDNY (@FDNY) February 19, 2025
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SIGN UP .@FDNY Three Alarm #Fire: Halsey Street & Central Avenue, Brooklyn. Expect smoke & traffic delays in the area. People nearby should avoid smoke and close windows. Multilingual & ASL link: https://t.co/PosXqPHajp pic.twitter.com/K4JVDMXHzW
— NYCEM - Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) February 19, 2025
The church had been a staple in the neighborhood for more than a century. Neighbors said the church serviced up to 100 parishioners in the community.
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"Definitely, there’s a lot of people that come to the church, it’s always crowded," said neighbor Madeline Urina.
Citizen App video taken from a couple of blocks away from the scene shows a dark plume of smoke billowing into the air as emergency vehicles are in view.
NYCEM is warning the public in the area of smoke and traffic delays. They are asking residents to close their windows due to the smoke.
The massive blaze left the church so badly damaged, the Department of Buildings will have to determine whether the building must be completely demolished due to the instability of the wall on the back of the church and concern of its possible collapse.
"We have a beautiful church. Everything was OK. I don’t know what happened," said Marta Ortiz, a member of the church. "Maybe we are going to get a better church."
