Fire under control in downtown Yonkers on South Broadway; historic church saved

YONKERS, N.Y. (WABC) -- A five-alarm fire burned through a row of stores and spewed smoke through a centuries-old church in downtown Yonkers Thursday night and into Friday morning.

The fire broke out in the stores on South Broadway just before 11 p.m. and spread through a large connected building.

Smoke quickly filled St John Church Getty Square, a church whose structure dates back to 1754.

"There is a lot of smoke damage but thank God we saved it, because it means a lot to the people in the city," Yonkers Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Fitzpatrick said.

Firefighters sustained minor injuries, described as "strains and sprains." They battled the flames for hours into the morning, making their way through a "heavy volume of smoke," and expected to stay through the morning.

The fire left a cloud of smoke over in downtown Yonkers and clogged Getty Square with fire department vehicles.

Fire investigators are working on a cause and interviewing people who were in the area.

No injuries were reported.