EDMUNSTON, N.B. -- A historic church in northern New Brunswick has been destroyed by a fire.

The City of Edmundston says the blaze at Saint John the Baptist Anglican Church broke out shortly after 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

Spokeswoman Mychele Poitras says the fire appears to have started on the exterior of the building, but they're still waiting for a report from the fire marshal's office to determine the cause.

She says about 30 firefighters battled the blaze for two hours, but the building was destroyed.

The church was built in 1873 and was classified as a historical site in 1991.

Poitras says this is the second major fire in the area in the past two weeks.

She says a former church, located on a neighbouring property, was destroyed by fire on Sept. 6.

The building was being used as a centre for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.