A historic Orthodox cathedral caught fire Tuesday. Parishioners and priests tried to salvage what they could, but the sanctuary was severely damaged.
On Wednesday, fire officials said they believe the cause of the fire at Saint Theodosius was accidental, the result of work being done on the roof.
This reflects what Fire Chief Anthony Luke told News on Tuesday about a construction crew that had been doing hot work welding copper up on the roof.
"There’s no danger to the integrity of the building, but it’s not usable due to water and smoke damage," a Cleveland Fire Department spokesperson tells News 5.
The Cleveland Fire Department estimates the damage to be about $1 million dollars.
This update about the cause and cost came just after the community gathered for a prayer service.
'I really can't believe this is happening'
As fire crews rushed to Saint Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral on Starkweather Avenue, Kelly Taylor couldn’t believe her eyes.
“I was baptized in this church,” Taylor added. "I really can’t believe this is happening. This is surreal. It’s such a landmark, I can’t believe it’s happening.”
The cathedral is over 110 years old, constructed between 1911 to 1912 for Russian immigrants living in Tremont. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and largely known for its iconic copper roof, which is what Cleveland Fire Chief Anthony Luke said made battling the fire Tuesday so challenging.
“This building because most of the roof is encased in copper, the fire is burning underneath the copper, so we have to peel back the copper to get to the fire,” said Luke.
“There was a partial ceiling collapse so they pulled everybody out,” Luke said.
Choir master Kenneth Kovoach is also in disbelief over the damages. He said the church was undergoing an extensive roof restoration.
“Now we’re looking at a fairly expensive and extensive restoration process,” Kovoch said.
'This was the Deer Hunter church'
This building is not only special to Clevelanders but movie lovers as well. The cathedral made its big screen appearance in the 1978 film “Deer Hunter.”
“This was the Deer Hunter church,” said Kovoch. "This is where Robert De Niro and everybody came.”
Congregants gathered Tuesday evening in prayer as they process their loss.
"Everything can be replaced but what a shock, what a tragedy for Cleveland,” said Kovoch.
Chief Luke said he’s proud of the work his crews did because the building could have been a total loss if they didn't get ladders up to the copper roof. There are no reported injuries.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for repairs.
