A three-alarm fire broke out in a church in the Rockaways Saturday afternoon.
More than 100 firefighters and EMS medics responded to a blaze that started around 2 p.m. at St. Edmund Church near Rockaway Point Blvd. in Breezy Point. The fire burned through the roof of the church, FDNY said.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries in the incident as the fire was placed under control at 3:30 p.m.
It remained unclear what sparked the blaze as FDNY personnel are still investigating.
Tom Fox, the former CEO of New Water Taxi and an early planner of Hudson River Park in Manhattan, and his wife, Gretchen Ferenz Fox — an agnostic couple — live six blocks from the church. Ferenz Fox noted St. Edmund is the second-largest of three Catholic churches in the idyllic beachside enclave, which also boasts a Unitarian church. The house of worship had all-new brown shingle siding added after Hurricane Sandy, she noted.
Fox said the small community boasts three volunteer fire departments, adding, “They were first on the scene, for sure.”
“It will be devastating to the community,” Fox said. “But we are resilient, so we will pull together.”
Originally Published:
