Fire rips through one of New York City's oldest churches - crews rush to save structure from devastating blaze

Peter Stevens
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:58:38 +0000

A fire has ripped through one of New York City's oldest churches, with crews rushing to save the historic structure from the blaze.

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) sent some 270 fire and EMS personnel to the Reformed Church of Astoria on the city's 12th Street, between Astoria Boulevard and 27th Avenue.

Four firefighters were injured, with one in serious condition, trying to save the church.

The firefighter in serious condition was struck in the head by falling roof debris, and is conscious and alert, officials said.

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The inferno was believed to have started at a residence attached to the church at around 6.45pm (11.45pm BST) before quickly spreading to the church.

FDNY said the fire spread across five alarms, with intense flames seen outside the front of the church.

Pictures shared by officials showed FDNY Ladder 117 being used to extinguish flames from the top of the place of worship.

In further footage shared online and by CBS News, multiple fire crews can seen attempting to extinguish the fire.

Roads in the Big Apple were blocked off for emergency vehicles as the church fire continues - while authorities asked the public to close their windows and avoid going outside nearby.

Last night's blaze in New York City follows a number of high-profile church fires in recent months.

The historic Vondelkerk in Amsterdam was partially destroyed this year in the early hours of New Year's Day.

The structure collapsed in on itself and cut the electricity of almost nearby 100 homes.

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And on February 23, King's Hall Methodist Church in London was partially destroyed, with 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters deployed to the scene.

The three-storey structure in Southall was first constructed in 1916.

There have been 3,237 cases of criminal damage, vandalism, and arson to British churches between 2022 and 2024.

The First Reformed Church of Astoria was founded in 1839.

It was originally known as the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the Village of Astoria.

Astoria is located within the borough of Queens and was known as Hallet's Cove at the time of the church's founding.

Prior to becoming mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani represented the area in the New York State Assembly.

And in the US House of Representatives, it has been represented by Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez since 2019.