Historic church engulfed in fire, firefighters fight to save a landmark [VIDEOS]

The Anglican Church of St. Anne, a landmark in Toronto's Little Portugal area, is currently at the center of a fire that has prompted the dispatch of several fire engines and the evacuation of surrounding buildings. At the scene of what police are calling a four-alarm fire, Toronto firefighters are working around the clock to put out the raging blaze.

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News captured on X, formerly Twitter, indicates that the Toronto Fire Department was dispatched shortly before 8 a.m. to X at the church on Gladstone Avenue, which was built in 1907-08 at Byzantine Revival style. As of this writing, no cause has been reported, the church is unoccupied according to Toronto Fire Services (TFS).

Big fire in the Anglican Church of Santa Anna! Absolutely heartbreaking for this historic building! @CP24 @CBCToronto #Toronto pic.twitter.com/n722HOJzh8

— B Diaz (@BtotheDiaz) June 9, 2024

While crews have made significant progress in reducing the size of the growing flames, they have advised people to avoid the area as firefighters continue to battle the blaze, working to extinguish spot fires that continue to grow.

The church fire is now at 4-Alarm. Some adjacent buildings have been evacuated as a safety measure. The main body of the fire has been knocked down with the endowments to extinguish specific fires. No injuries. Expect crews and traffic to remain on scene. Avoid the area whenever possible. ^dc pic.twitter.com/qiBhLVwOI5

— Toronto Fire Services (@Toronto_Fire) June 9, 2024

The website of St Anne's Anglican Church highlights its importance to the community. The church is home to beautiful pieces of art by prominent Canadian artists, including three members of the famous Group of Seven, making it a historic site.

As firefighters continue to battle the growing inferno, the extent of the destruction to the iconic structure is unknown.

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