FDNY firefighters stop four‑alarm warehouse blaze from reaching historic Staten Island church
More than 200 FDNY firefighters and EMS personnel battled a four‑alarm blaze Saturday afternoon at a vacant warehouse on the Mount Loretto grounds in Staten Island, preventing the fire from reaching the historic Old Church of St Joachim and St Anne.
The warehouse at 6581 Hylan Boulevard, empty for five years, ignited around 5:45 p.m. and quickly grew into a heavy‑intensity fire. Rapid deployment of large‑caliber stream tower ladders and handlines allowed crews to shift to a defensive operation aimed at protecting nearby structures, including two schools, a senior center, and the historic church.
"There is heavy, heavy damage to this structure, the roof did collapse, and right now we’re maintaining a collapse zone around that structure," FDNY chief of operations Kevin Woods told reporters. "It’s very windy out here tonight. Our units did a great job with many of the flying embers, preventing additional structures from going on fire."
The Old Church of St Joachim and St Anne is best known for its exterior shots in the baptism scene of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic The Godfather. The church, originally built in the 19th century, survived a destructive fire in 1973 and was rebuilt three years later, preserving its iconic façade.
Firefighters maintained a collapse zone around the warehouse after the roof gave way, and continued to douse hot spots well after the main blaze was declared under control at approximately 8:30 p.m. One firefighter incurred a minor burn to his leg, but no serious injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the New York City Fire Marshal’s office, and officials have not released any further details. The incident underscores the challenges of defending historic sites in densely built, windy urban environments.
FDNY crews will keep monitoring the area for residual heat and will begin the process of securing the warehouse site while investigators assess the origin of the fire.
