The inferno that gutted a historic Manhattan cathedral is being probed as “suspicious,” fire investigators said Monday.
Flames that engulfed the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava on West 25th Street on Sunday seemed much more intense than a blaze sparked by church candles, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Michael Gala said.
What remained of the church on Monday.G.N. Miller“We were not immediately able to determine the cause so it’s being deemed suspicious, and is under investigation,” Gala said.
Firefighters struggled to get inside the church on Sunday because of the ferocity of the four-alarm blaze, officials said.
“We were only committed inside the structure for a few minutes (fighting the flames on Sunday night) before we were overwhelmed (by the fire’s intensity),” Gala said outside the cathedral, which was completely hollowed out by flames.
Crews were still on hand Monday dousing any remaining flames and blasting the structure with cold water, as a precaution against any potential flare-ups.
