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Hundred-and-sixty-year-old New York church engulfed in flames * Flames have engulfed the 160-year-old Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava in Manhattan's central Flatiron district * Easter services were taking place at the Orthodox Christian church today, including a lunch at 1pm * Fortunately, nobody was believed to have been inside the building when the blaze broke out, the FDNY said * It is not known how the fire started or the extent of the damage, but the building appears to have been gutted * The church, built in 1855, was declared a landmark in 1968 and branded 'irreplaceable' by New York officials * See more news from New York as Manhattan's 160-year-old Serbian Cathedral engulfed in flames <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/new_york/index.html> By Chris Pleasance For Dailymail.com <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Chris+Pleasance+ For+Dailymail.com> and Associated Press <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Associated+Press > Published: 23:49 GMT, 1 May 2016 | Updated: 12:01 GMT, 2 May 2016 A 160-year-old Orthodox Christian cathedral in New York <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/new_york/index.html> has been completely destroyed after a huge fire tore through it on Sunday The blaze broke out at the Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava on 25th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron district at around 7pm. It is not known how the fire started, though it is believed to have broken out on the first floor of the building before consuming the interior and roof. An FDNY spokesman said that nobody was believed to be inside the building at the time the fire started, and there have been no reports of injuries. Fire officials said the church's caretaker ran inside the church to try to put out the blaze but suffered minor smoke inhalation and had to be rescued. 'I feel like I'm in a nightmare right now,' said church priest, Father Djokan Majstorovic as he tried to get to the fire scene that was blocked off by firefighters. Alex Velic, 31, the caretaker's stepson, told the Daily News he lives next door. He said he smelled smoke and came outside and saw the church on fire. 'Once the fire caught the wood there was flames coming out of the top of the church. That's when people were going crazy,' Velic said. "I'm in shock. I don't know what to say. It's sad.' The Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava, on 25th Street in Manhattan, New York, has been completely gutted by flames after a huge fire broke out there at around 7pm on Sunday Orthodox Easter celebrations were scheduled to take place at the Church earlier today with a Confession and Communion service at 9am, a liturgy at 10am and a lunch scheduled to start at 1pm Fire crews were pictured desperately trying to dampen the flames as they scorched through the roof of the beautiful gothic-style building, rising at least 50ft up from street level The church, which was designed by celebrated architect Richard M. Upjohn, appeared to have been completely gutted by the blaze, though fortunately FDNY officials do not believe anyone was inside at the time More than 170 firefighters were dispatched to deal with the blaze, the FDNY said. It is not clear how the fire started, though it is believed to have broken out on the first floor (pictured, the cathedral before and during the fire) Images taken from above show how the flames completely engulfed the church, streaming from the windows and burning the roof away Massive fire engulfs Orthodox church in the Flatiron District Orthodox Easter celebrations were held in the building earlier in the day, including a lunch at 1pm, according to the church's website. The extent of the damage is also currently unknown, but images taken by bystanders appear to show the entire building has been destroyed. Dozens of fire engines and at least 170 firefighter were scrambled to deal with the fire, the FDNY said, as flames could be seen shooting from the rose window at the front of the building. Views from above show the fire streaming from the apex of the church roof, around 50ft above street level. FDNY posts footage of the Flatiron District 4-alarm fire While the true extent of the damage is unknown, images suggest nothing more than a shell of a building will be left behind, as windows burst from the heat and the roof was almost entirely scorched away Hundreds of stunned onlookers gathered in the streets near the church to watch fire crews try in vain to save the historic building Firefighters were still battling to put the blaze out as night fell in New York, while most of the building appeared to have been destroyed Stunned onlookers were described 'crying' in the street on social media, while others mourned a 'huge loss for the community' The church was designed in 1845 and built in the early 1850s, and was the first place to hold an Orthodox liturgy in the U.S., an event hailed at the time as the 'inauguration of the Russian-Greek Church in America' More than 170 firefighters were called to the scene of the blaze along with dozens of vehicles, and continued damping down the fire as darkness fell on Sunday night Aerial images of the cathedral show the horrifying extent of the damage to the building, once branded 'irreplaceable' by New York officials Hundreds of onlookers gathered in the street to watch the vain attempts to save the building, with dozens taking to Twitter to describe the scene. One user, going by the name Matty Brocker, said people were 'crying' as the building went up in smoke, while others branded the sigh 'horrific' and mourned a 'huge loss for the community'. The Serbian Cathedral of Saint Sava was designed in 1850 by architect Richard M. Upjohn, the founder of the American Institute of Architects, and first consecrated in 1855 by the Episcopal Diocese. Firemen remained on scene tamping the flames down until late on Sunday night, revealing through the smoke how little of the church was left following the fire that broke out hours earlier Through the smoke a few charred roof beams appeared to be all that remained of the church roof, while the ornate stained glass windows were also gone, having exploded outward during the blaze Once firemen have finished extinguishing the blaze the gothic-revival building will need to be assessed to see whether it can be repaired Dozens of firemen remained on the scene overnight to keep the embers of the church from burning up again While the fire has almost certainly destroyed the building, there have been no deaths or injuries reported from the blaze so far The church was designated a New York City landmark in 1968 and at the time the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission said the church's 'striking appearance commands special attention. It added that 'its special character, historic significance, and aesthetic interest and value of the development, heritage, and cultural characteristics of New York make it irreplaceable.' In 1865 the church played host to the first Orthodox liturgy was held in an Episcopal church in the U.S., an event described at the time as the 'inauguration of the Russian-Greek Church in America.' American writer Edith Wharton married socialite Edward Wharton in the chapel in 1885, and later immortalized the church in her famous novel, The Age of Innocence. Designed by Richard M. Upjohn, founder of the American Institute of Architects, the church was consecrated in 1855 and made a New York landmark in 1968 (pictured before the fire) Designating the church a landmark, the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission said the church's 'striking appearance commands special attention' (pictured before the fire) As well as its gorgeous interior and historic status, the cathedral also contained several artifacts, including Byzantine hand-carved Iconoclasts brought to the church from the Monastery of St. Naum in Ohrid, Yugoslavia, founded in 905 Overhead video shows massive Flatiron District fire in Manhattan Share or comment on this article * * * * * * * * This is terrible. My heart goes out to all those af... by Gill_F <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/registration/1448150883052681/Gill_F/profile.htm l> 794 * -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "serbia" group. 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