‘Godfather’ Church Survives 4-Alarm Staten Island Warehouse Fire

A four-alarm fire destroyed a vacant warehouse on Staten Island Saturday evening, threatening the historic Catholic church used for exterior shots in “The Godfather” before more than 200 firefighters contained the flames. One firefighter suffered a minor burn injury to his leg.

The blaze started around 5:45 p.m. inside an empty building at 6581 Hylan Boulevard within the Mount Loretto complex, FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said at a press conference. Crews arrived to find heavy fire throughout the structure and immediately shifted to a defensive operation, deploying large-caliber stream tower ladders and handlines rather than entering the building.

“There is heavy, heavy damage to this structure, the roof did collapse, and right now we’re maintaining a collapse zone around that structure,” Woods said.

High winds complicated the response. Flying embers threatened multiple occupied buildings clustered on the Mount Loretto grounds, including two schools and the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne.

The church gained international recognition after appearing in the 1972 film’s baptism sequence. It previously survived a devastating fire in 1973 that gutted the interior while leaving the ornate stone façade standing. The structure was rebuilt three years later.

Saturday’s warehouse had sat unoccupied for five years, according to officials. The proximity of the abandoned property to active schools and a landmarked religious site highlights persistent risks associated with long-term vacant commercial real estate across New York City’s outer boroughs.

Firefighters declared the incident under control at approximately 8:30 p.m., roughly three hours after the initial alarm.

“It’s very windy out here tonight. Our units did a great job with many of the flying embers, preventing additional structures from going on fire,” Woods said.

The Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause.