Fire crews tackle major blaze at 160-year-old church in Leicester

Firefighters have been battling a major fire at a historic 160-year-old church which has sent thick clouds of black smoke billowing into the air. Emergency services were called to St Andrew's Church in Leicester after the fire broke out at 11.17pm last night (Tue). Eight fire engines rushed to the scene on Jarrom Street before crews spent the night tackling the inferno and trying to bring it under control. Fire bosses this morning (Wed) confirmed there had been no casualties reported but the roof of the place of worship had been left severely damaged. A spokesperson for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Our firefighters have been battling to contain and extinguish a large fire at St Andrew's Church throughout the night, after multiple calls came in before midnight. "Thankfully, there have been no casualties and all persons have been accounted for, but sadly the roof of this 160-year-old place of worship has been severely damaged by the fire. "We have been working with Leicestershire Police, and with Cadent and Western Power to isolate gas and electricity supplies, and several roads in the vicinity are currently closed to traffic. "As of the time of writing this remains an ongoing incident. "The cause of the fire is not yet known, but we would like to take this opportunity to ask members of the public to please be careful during this ongoing heatwave with anything that could start a fire, whether in the countryside, or in urban areas. "The warm, dry conditions mean fires can start easily and spread very quickly." Residents living nearby have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed as smoke spread across the city. One local commented on social media: "Absolutely heartbreaking, it has been at the centre of the community for years and the damage looks horrendous. I only pray it can be rebuilt because it is such a beautiful building." Another added: "This is devastating for our parish community. This will be a huge loss if it cannot be saved or rebuilt." St Andrew’s was designed by British architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s and has been a parish church in the area for more than 150 years.

Melden