January 1, FDNY Heroes Stop Warehouse Inferno From Destroying Historic Godfather Church

Wyatt’s Take

• Brave New York City firefighters kept their word and protected an American landmark that matters to working families who value history and faith.
• Windy conditions and a collapsing roof tested their skill, yet they held the line without letting the flames reach the old church or nearby schools.
• One minor injury reminds us that these men and women put their lives on the line every day so our communities stay safe.

More than two hundred firefighters and medics raced to Mount Loretto on Staten Island after flames broke out inside a long-vacant warehouse. The four-alarm fire began around quarter to six on Saturday evening.

“There is heavy, heavy damage to this structure, the roof did collapse, and right now we’re maintaining a collapse zone around that structure,” FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods told reporters that night.

“Upon arrival, units encountered heavy fire throughout the building and immediately went into a defensive operation,” Woods added. “We set up multiple large-caliber stream tower ladders and handlines.”

The warehouse sits on the same grounds as the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne, a Catholic landmark famous for its appearance in the baptism scene of the 1972 film The Godfather. The church façade survived a 1973 blaze and was rebuilt, keeping its place in Staten Island history.

“It’s very windy out here tonight. Our units did a great job with many of the flying embers, preventing additional structures from going on fire,” Woods said.

By half past eight the blaze was under control and the flames had been kept away from the church, two nearby schools, and other buildings on the property. One firefighter suffered a minor burn on his leg, and the cause is still under review by the Fire Marshal’s office.

Wyatt Matters

Real Americans know that faith, family, and the places where they pray together are worth protecting. The men and women of the FDNY showed up when it counted and proved once again that courage and duty still matter in this country.