Staten Island Church Featured in 'The Godfather' Spared from Four-Alarm Blaze

Firefighters successfully extinguished a four-alarm fire that erupted in a vacant warehouse on the Mount Loretto grounds in Staten Island on Saturday evening, preventing the blaze from spreading to adjacent historic buildings, including the Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne, famously featured in "The Godfather."

The fire, which began around 5:45 p.m., required the response of over 200 firefighters. FDNY chief of operations Kevin Woods stated at a press conference that the warehouse sustained heavy damage, with its roof collapsing. Firefighters worked to establish a collapse zone around the structure.

The warehouse had been vacant for five years and is situated near several other structures on the Mount Loretto campus, including two schools, a senior center, and the historic church. Despite strong winds, firefighters managed to contain the fire. "Our units did a great job with many of the flying embers preventing additional structures from going on fire," Woods said.

The Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne, known for its role in exterior shots of the baptism scene in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 film "The Godfather," was among the buildings saved. The church itself was previously destroyed by a fire in 1973 and rebuilt in 1976.

The fire was brought under control by 8:30 p.m., with firefighters continuing to address hot spots. One firefighter sustained a minor burn injury to his leg. The cause of the blaze is under investigation by the Fire Marshal's office.