Video from church fire in Cleveland. Building dating back to 1887 destroyed.

More on the church fire from Firegeezer

Article by Jamillah Riase, WKYC-TV:

Fire has destroyed a historic church next to the Cleveland Clinic, which was forced to move about eight patients to safe locations.

One firefighter was treated for a minor eye injury from Tuesday morning’s fire at the Euclid Avenue Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ. Only the sandstone walls remained standing.

Cleveland fire department spokesman Larry Gray says the first call came shortly after midnight during a lightning storm. The fire’s cause has not been determined.

The Clinic says smoke entered two of its buildings through air vents but did not harm anyone.

The church was founded in 1843, according to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, and the Romanesque style building was dedicated in 1887.

The eastbound lanes of Euclid Ave. are closed between E.96th and E.100th. The westbound lanes are open. The Cleveland Clinic says patrons should use Chester and Carnegie Ave. to access its main campus.

RTA’S Healthline Euclid route will be diverted from Euclid to 89th, to Chester, to E.105th, back to Euclid.

The church is on the corner of E.96th and Euclid, right next door to the Cleveland Clinic.

The Euclid Avenue Congregational Church opened in 1843

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