A significant fire has severely damaged the United Missionary Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, as firefighters battled the blaze last night until this morning. The structure in the city's Brewerytown neighborhood near Girard College caught fire around 7:30 p.m. yesterday. CBS News Philadelphia reported that the Philadelphia Fire Department quickly sent about 60 firefighters to the scene at North 25th and West Thompson Streets.

No casualties were reported, and the church's pastor and officials were confirmed safe, according to a post on the church's Facebook page cited by NBC 10 Philadelphia. Due to freezing conditions and the weight of water used to control the fire, PECO shut down power lines, potentially affecting residents in up to a three-block radius. The Deputy Fire Chief, Charles Johnson, emphasized the measure as a precautionary step.

United Missionary Baptist Church, established in 1892 and serving as a keystone for the community, now faces the aftermath of the devastation. A church spokesperson mourned the loss as they addressed the impact of the disaster, "Please say a prayer for our church building," witnessed by congregation members consoling one another amid freezing temperatures, as mentioned in the 6ABC interview.

After the firefighting efforts that controlled the inferno just past midnight, the lack of power left hundreds without electricity, and PECO did not provide an estimated timeline for restoration. In the CBS News Philadelphia report, Deputy Chief Johnson underlined that the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management remained on standby to assist should any residents be forced to evacuate.

With the fire under control, the Philadelphia Fire Marshal's office has begun investigating the cause of the fire.