100-year-old Providence church consumed in devastating fire

PROVIDENCE − A fire destroyed a century-old church building in the Elmwood neighborhood Wednesday morning, according to Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva.

Providence firefighters responded to the Impact Center Providence Church, on the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Greenwich Street at about 11 a.m. Wednesday.

There, they encountered a handful of workers, who had been involved with the rehabilitation of the church and helped them exit the burning church, Silva said.

No civilians or firefighters were injured, he added.

Firefighters have no reason to believe the fire was incendiary or intentionally set, Silva said, emphasizing that the cause of the fire is the focus of an investigation.

Church built at outset of last century

The firefighting effort was unable to save the church structure, which was built in 1914 or 1915, said Silva, who anticipated that the church’s steeple was about to fall in.

The building’s exterior brick walls might survive “but there’s nothing left inside this thing,” Silva said.

“It’s a total loss,” he said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Fire destroys Impact Center Providence Church in Elmwood