the defiant reverend of a historian church London completely destroyed in a “heartbreaking fireon Friday said, “We’re still here for the community.”
Plumes of smoke were seen for miles around as St. Mark’s in St. John’s Wood was “completely destroyed” in the inferno.
Videos posted on social media showed the spire being gutted when flames struck at 11:19 p.m. Thursday.
Pastor Kate Harrison, who took over St Mark’s congregation in 2015, told the Standard she was evacuated from her home in the vicarage and watched helplessly as the flames took hold.
“The firefighters were absolutely amazing and they worked so hard. I am really touched by the amount of effort they put into this building, they were so nice and amazing.”
Firefighters fight a fire at St Mark’s Church in Hamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood, London,
/ FATHERThrough tears she said: “I am absolutely devastated. That building has served the Christian community for 175 years, it’s our base where we’ve helped people, loved people.
“It is a beautiful beacon of hope and to see it suffer in crushing devastation is utterly heartbreaking.
“But it’s a building, not the church. The church is the people and our work will continue, our love will continue.
“We’re still here for the area.”
One witness described seeing the flames grow “before the roof collapsed”.
The cause of the fire, which is now under control, is not yet known.
No injuries were reported, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) reports.
“I got up and looked out my bedroom window and the road outside was full of fire trucks,” said one resident BBC news.
“I then thought there must have been an accident down the road. I just put on my coat, came through the front door and just saw that the church next door was ablaze. It’s terrible, the whole church was on fire – smoke everywhere. It is extremely sad because it is a very old church and it is now a ruin.”
Another local tweeted, “Heartbreaking to see St Mark’s Church burn down.”
The LFB said it used three ladders, including Europe’s tallest at 64 metres, as towers to evenly distribute the water and put out the fire.
The National Churches Trust had the St.
It featured “stunning” mosaics by the Salviati family, as well as highly decorative marble floors in the chancel, with the Gothic style overall design the work of architect Thomas Cundy Junior.
It was located near Abbey Road Studios and Lord’s Cricket Ground, and had links to author Lewis Carroll and Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold.