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Watch: 3-alarm fire engulfs church in West Brighton


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Raw Video: 3-alarm fire engulfs church in West BrightonA 3-alarm fire broke out in a vacant church at 641 Delafield Ave. in West Brighton. (Video/Ryan Lavis)
Ryan Lavis | lavis@siadvance.comBy Ryan Lavis | lavis@siadvance.com 
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on September 30, 2015 at 5:30 AM, updated September 30, 2015 at 8:38 AM
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Update: The fire is being investigated as suspicious, an FDNY spokesman told the Advance Wednesday morning. Further information will be posted as it becomes available.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 3-alarm fire ripped through a vacant church in West Brighton early Wednesday morning.
More than a hundred firefighters responded to the call of a fire inside House of Miracles church at 641 Delafield Ave. at around 2:08 a.m., an FDNY spokesman said.
Witnesses say they saw the fire spread quickly from the back of the building before completely engulfing the church's steeple, which collapsed.
"The flames were unbelievable," said George Raad, who lives nearby.
Another witness, Richard Green, watched from his house across the street as the flames completely overtook the church.
"Most of the fire was in the rear...next thing you know it just shot up and then the whole thing came down within 20 minutes," Green said.
The fire was under control by 4:30 a.m., the fire department spokesman said.
One firefighter sustained minor injuries, fire officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, the spokesman said.
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The Commodore

The Commodore
This gorgeous building used to be Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, which dated from about 1910. Every time I passed it, my heart would sink because it was sitting there empty. Now it's all but gone. I'm sure a half-dozen ugly town homes will take its place.

Some pics of the church in early 1930s: http://www.oldnyc.org/#728790f-b