Historic Astoria, Queens church faces demolition after devastating fire

Crews remained at the scene Friday of a fire that tore through a vacant church in Astoria, Queens Thursday night. FDNY and emergency management officials are keeping an eye on some hot spots that may still remain. 

The fire left the church hollowed out, with its walls and roof gone. One emergency management official said the building will have to be demolished.

The church is an historic building that dates back to the 1800s. It used to house the First Reformed Church of Astoria. The Department of Buildings is trying to figure out how to preserve parts of it. 

Thursday night's fire started in the church's rectory and climbed to five alarms, officials said. It took about three hours to put the fire out. 

Six firefighters were injured, including one who had bricks fall on him. They have all been released from the hospital after being treated for their injuries. 

The smoke was so strong Thursday night that CBS News New York's Naveen Dhaliwal said it was difficult for her and her crew to be at the scene, and they needed to wear masks. 

"Once we get into these old churches, into the walls and roof spaces, it's very difficult to extinguish and there was a major collapse danger," FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said. 

Area residents say it's a loss for their community, even though the church was vacant. They say there was a strong church community here, including summer camps and weddings held at the church. 

"This church is historic, probably 1850. It was called the Dutch Reform Church and it's been abandoned for a year, so in a way I'm not surprised there's been a fire," Astoria resident Dominique Perrot said. "It makes me cry."  

Crews will be fencing up the area as officials continue to investigate the cause.