Crews respond to central Edmonton church fire

The church previously used by the Mustard Seed in central Edmonton was destroyed by fire on Sunday afternoon.

Crews responded to a fire at a central Edmonton church Sunday afternoon.

The city said a fire in the area of 96 Street and 106A Avenue was reported to Edmonton Fire and Rescue Services (EFRS) at 1:28 p.m. with crews at the scene at 1:32 p.m.

The fire was under control shortly before 4 p.m. and was declared out by 5:44 p.m.

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Jeff Iker, acting EFRS district chief, said the fire was stubborn.

“It’s stuck in the attic which is hard for us to get to being on the defensive attack,” Iker told CTV News Edmonton. “We’re kind of limited to how we can access it.”

Being that the church is more than a century old, firefighters were taking extra safety precautions.

So far there have been no injuries reported. Iker said firefighters didn’t find anyone in the building when responding to the fire.

“There’s no life in danger at this time, so that brings the seriousness of the fire down a little bit, but it’s a major fire and it’s a tough one,” said Iker.

The Mustard Seed has owned the church since the 1980s and most recently operated its food depot there before formally closing it in August for demolition.

The Christian non-profit ceased operations at the church the year before due to significant structural concerns.

The church was built in 1912.

EFRS is currently investigating the cause of the fire.