An Aurora church that had been in the community for more than a 135 years was destroyed in a fire Friday morning.
The fire started shortly before 10:30 a.m. at Aurora United Church near Yonge and Wellington streets.
It is believed that roofers were repairing a leak when the flames erupted but officials cannot confirm whether the roof repairs had anything to do with the fire.
Out-of-town fire departments and off-duty firefighters were called in to help knock down the blaze, which is not yet under control, Deputy Chief Paul Leslie said.
At one point while crews were working to contain the fire, the rear roof of the church collapsed.
Leslie called the smoke from the fire 'toxic' and reminded onlookers to keep away from the scene.
"We've had to evacuate some of the neighbours," Leslie told CP24.
Residents are expected to return to their homes in the next few hours.
The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office has been notified of the incident.
York Regional Police have closed Yonge Street, between Wellington and Mosley streets, to traffic and pedestrians and say the area will be closed for at least the next several hours.
Newmarket – Aurora MPP Frank Klees said Aurora United Church, which was built in the late1870s, is a town landmark and residents were ‘crushed’ to learn about the massive fire that overtook the building.
"Aurora is a town that is very focused … on preserving historical buildings," he said.
"So to see this building go up in flames is really tearing at the heart of this community."
A note on the Aurora United Church's website invited parishioners to gather Friday night at the Sanctuary of Trinity Anglican Church to pray and "support each other in this sad time."
“It’s just hard to fathom,” one woman whose daughters had both been married at the church told CP24.
“Hopefully they can save some of it.”
Leslie said damage to the building is significant.
"When you consider the amount of damage to the building at this point, it's really hard to imagine what could be salvaged,” he said.
