About 150 firefighters responded when flames engulfed the 92-year-old Shrine of Christ the King Church near the University of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood.
Advertisement
The first call came in around 5:45 a.m. Firefighters had to battle the fire from outside and tried to douse the roof of the church.
The fire broke in the 6400 block of South Woodlawn at the Shrine of Christ the King Church in the Woodlawn neighborhood just before 6 a.m. They were reportedly concerned about exposure to the school next to the church.
Flames from the intense fire could be seen shooting through the structure’s roof and steeple, which was quickly being destroyed.
Workers had been renovating the interior of the church, including electrical and ventilation upgrades.
Advertisement
There were no injuries and fire crews were able to stop the fire from spreading to the rectory and a nearby women’s shelter. The church was built in 1923. Deputy Fire Commissioner John McNicholas says that work may be to blame for the fire. In 2004 a fundraising driver was launched for renovations.
