Massive fire engulfs historic church in Aurora

CTV Toronto Published Friday, April 11, 2014 12:22PM EDT Last Updated Friday, April 11, 2014 10:45PM EDT

Residents in Aurora, Ont., are mourning the loss a 135-year-old church after a massive fire ripped through the building Friday morning.

Emergency crews were called to Aurora United Church near Yonge Street and Mosley Street just before 10:30 a.m. Friday.

About 60 firefighters, including six local fire trucks and additional fire crews from Richmond Hill, worked to contain the blaze at the height of the fire.

Thick clouds of smoke could be seen billowing from the roof of the building hours after the blaze first broke out and a large portion of the churchs back wall also collapsed.

Police said a group of pre-schoolers and adults were inside the church before the blaze broke out and were immediately cleared from the building.

Officers cleared six to eight homes in the nearby area and evacuated buildings and businesses close to the church as a precaution.

Deputy Fire Chief Paul Leslie told reporters that the fire is believed to have started in the rear roof of the building.

Leslie said the flames were so intense that crews were forced to pull away from the building at one point.

Its just the nature of churches - they are very tall, you cannot access the roof from the inside and so it just made it very difficult for us to fight the fire, Leslie said.

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Massive fire engulfs historic church in Aurora