A four-alarm fire ripped through St. Anne91裸聊视频檚 Anglican Church in Toronto on Sunday morning, severely damaging a national historic site and destroying the 91裸聊视频減riceless91裸聊视频� Group of Seven murals inside.

Fire officials said the blaze broke out shortly before 8 a.m., fuelling spires of smoke and shooting flames through the domed roof of the Byzantine Revival building erected in 1908.

There was no one inside the church in the city91裸聊视频檚 Little Portugal neighbourhood at the time and no injuries were reported, officials said.

Early paintings by three Group of Seven members and other prominent Canadian artists were installed along the interior in the 1920s. The murals decorated the chancel and the dome, which was destroyed in the blaze.

Father Don Beyers, rector of St. Anne91裸聊视频檚, said the 91裸聊视频渋nvaluable91裸聊视频� works were lost to the flames.

91裸聊视频淭he artwork was priceless. It was murals, beautiful murals,91裸聊视频� he told reporters. 91裸聊视频淭hey were stunning.

91裸聊视频淭his was the only church that featured artwork by members of the Group of Seven. And I91裸聊视频檓 sorry to say that91裸聊视频檚 been lost, from what I can see.91裸聊视频�

Jim Jessop, a deputy chief at Toronto Fire Services, confirmed the loss.

91裸聊视频淭he building is completely destroyed right now, as are all the artifacts inside,91裸聊视频� he said.

As flames began to engulf the roof on Sunday morning, firefighters pulled out due to the risk it would collapse, officials said.

Crews extinguished the main body of the fire by mid-morning, they said. The cause had not been determined as of Sunday afternoon.

In 1923, the church commissioned founding Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald to oversee designs depicting the life of Christ on the building91裸聊视频檚 interior, according to the St. Anne91裸聊视频檚 website. MacDonald then signed on nine other artists, including Franklin Carmichael and Frederick Varley.

The three men formed part of the school of landscape painters known as the Group of Seven, renowned for their vibrant depictions of windswept forests and boreal ruggedness that helped forge a romanticized sense of Canadian vitality and independence.

91裸聊视频淭his is an extraordinary loss,91裸聊视频� Beyers said a block from the building.

91裸聊视频淣ot only was the art important, but the church itself was important architecturally. It was one of the rare Anglican churches that was in the Byzantine style, an Eastern Christian style,91裸聊视频� he said, deeming the incident 91裸聊视频渄evastating91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渉eartbreaking.91裸聊视频�

Beneath the murals, the interior featured sparkling mosaics of Italian glass-and-gold tile in Byzantine style spanning several walls, decoration that was added in the 1960s.

The now gutted space hosted choral performances, meals, musical theatre, film productions, weddings and other special events, as well as providing a place of worship and prayer.

Coun. Alejandra Bravo, who represents the ward where the church sits, said residents are expressing 91裸聊视频渢remendous91裸聊视频� grief over the destruction of a space that offered critical community support.

91裸聊视频淭his is much more than just a building. This is a place that has provided support, a home, love, brought people from the community together 91裸聊视频� and provided the spiritual support that people so desperately need in times when they91裸聊视频檝e fallen on hard times,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 something that we cannot replace in Canada and in the world.91裸聊视频�

Marit Stiles, who represents the riding provincially and also leads the Ontario NDP, offered a note of hope.

91裸聊视频淭his is going to be a tremendous loss for the community, but it91裸聊视频檚 not over, because we will rebuild.91裸聊视频�

READ ALSO:

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press