The roof of a 160 year-old church in Leicester has been “severely damaged” by an overnight fire.
Flames were seen coming out of St Andrew's Church, on Jarrom Street, sending plumes of smoke over the city centre. Its cause is not yet known and there have been no casualties.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service received several calls from 11:17pm on Tuesday. Eight engines and two high-reach appliances were in attendance.
Firefighters with breathing apparatus went into the church to put the fire out and protect other parts of the building. The response was still ongoing on Wednesday morning, although it has been scaled back.
A Facebook post from the fire service said: “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.
“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.”
Local residents were told to close doors and windows, as thick smoke spread over the city.
A statement from the Diocese of Leicester said: “We are deeply saddened by the fire at St Andrew’s Church in Jarrom Street and our immediate concern is for the safety and wellbeing of everyone affected.We are grateful to the emergency services for their swift response, and we thank them for all they are doing.
“At this stage, we are awaiting further information from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and would ask people not to speculate about the cause of the fire until the facts are known.
“Due to the incident, the funeral that was due to take place at the church today has been relocated. The family and those attending have been informed of the alternative arrangements.
We appreciate the support and understanding of the community at this difficult time.”