Emergency crews rushed to the property Tuesday evening after reports of another fire inside the historic structure. The incident came only days after firefighters battled a massive three-alarm fire at the same location over the weekend.
Following an investigation, officials announced Wednesday that the latest fire was deliberately set.
According to WGRZ:
“The Buffalo Fire Department was once again called to fight a fire at the former St. Ann’s Church on Broadway, with investigators determining arson as its cause.”
The report continued:
“A spokesperson for Buffalo Fire told 2 On Your Side that fire crews were sent to the site of the former church at around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday for reports that another fire had started in the building. They add that fire investigators have ruled the cause of the fire as arson.”
Firefighters responded quickly and were able to contain the flames before they spread throughout the building, preventing what could have been another devastating loss. Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact location where the fire began or the full extent of the damage caused by the blaze.
Investigators are now working to determine who was responsible and whether the latest incident is connected to the previous fire that broke out just days earlier.
WGRZ also reported:
“Firefighters were able to find the fire and extinguish it before it spread to most of the building. It is unknown exactly where the fire was in the building and how badly the building was damaged.”
The repeated fires have intensified concerns surrounding the aging property, which has already suffered significant damage in recent months.
This marks the second fire in just one week at the former St. Ann’s Church. The string of destructive incidents began last Friday, when firefighters spent hours battling a three-alarm blaze that engulfed portions of the building.
The church campus has also experienced another major fire this year. In January, flames tore through the neighboring former St. Ann’s Roman Catholic School, prompting a four-alarm response from emergency crews.
As WGRZ noted:
“This is the second fire that was started at the former church in just the past week. Last Friday, Buffalo Fire tackled a three-alarm fire at the site and in January, a four-alarm fire ripped through the church’s neighboring building, the former St. Ann’s Roman Catholic School. That first fire destroyed much of the inside of the former school, however the exterior is still standing.”
The repeated fires have sparked renewed discussion throughout Buffalo about the future of one of the city’s best-known historic religious sites. Once a thriving Catholic parish that served generations of worshippers, St. Ann’s has become the focus of debate since its sale and the proposal to transform the property into a mosque.
At this stage, authorities have not announced any arrests or identified potential suspects in the arson investigation. Buffalo fire investigators continue gathering evidence as they work to determine who intentionally ignited the latest blaze.
With two fires in the church within days and another destructive fire earlier this year at the neighboring school building, local residents will be watching closely as investigators search for answers and officials determine what lies ahead for the historic Buffalo landmark.
