CHESTER, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire at a vacant church in Chester, Delaware County, Wednesday morning.
Thick smoke billowed out of the steeple and windows of the former Immaculate Heart of Mary, located at Second and Norris streets. Crews responded to the scene around 6 a.m.
“After about 15 minutes, the interior crew became disoriented, so a mayday was called in and the building was evacuated. At that point, we turned to a defensive operation,” explained Chester Fire Commissioner John Shirley.
“It’s just a very stubborn fire. It’s in the basement of the church. We got multiple fire departments from all across the county.”
Officials said no one was injured.
The church operated as a food pantry until it relocated in 2023. The building has sat vacant since.