An early morning fire at an old empty Vancouver church is now under control.
The Kerrisdale Baptist Church, built in 1912 and expanded in 1929 and 1947, went up in flames around 6 a.m. It was number three on Heritage Vancouver’s endangered list.
More than 50 firefighters were called to West 41 Avenue and East Boulevard to battle the blaze, which was eventually upgraded to a three-alarm fire.
The fire is now out but it is still very smoky in the surrounding area. One firefighter was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The church is slated for demolition and neighbours say it has been empty for a while. The second floor of the church collapsed in the blaze and it is believed the entire building has been lost.
It is not yet known if this fire is suspicious but the assistant fire chief told Global News this is one of three suspicious fires they have been called to overnight.
A nearby apartment building has been evacuated due to the heavy smoke.
East Boulevard is currently closed to traffic. West Boulevard is still open.
This is a developing story and we will bring you more details when they are available.
WATCH: Arson is suspected in a fire that destroyed a historic Vancouver church overnight. As Jordan Armstrong reports, it’s just the latest in a string of suspicious fires in abandoned buildings.
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