Authorities are investigating the cause of Friday night’s fire at the abandoned Saint Anthony Convent and Motherhouse, a historic but vacant building at Court Street and Grant Boulevard.
Firefighters were still on scene Saturday morning after a fire tore through the historic Syracuse building.
The Syracuse Fire Department responded to the area just before 6:30 p.m. Friday, finding smoke coming out of the roof and top floor.
“It was a problematic response initially because we were at an ongoing fire over on Carbon Street,” SFD Chief Michael Monds said. “Heavy structure fire over there with heavy smoke, heavy fire, a lot of firefighting going on over on Carbon Street before we came to this location. A lot of those firefighters from that fire left that fire and came over here.”
The department says one firefighter was treated after exhausting work at both fires, but no one else was injured.
Monds says that, although the fire is still not completely out, it looks better than it did initially.
"It looks tremendously better than it did last night going into the morning, so the firefighters are making an impact on putting the fire out," Monds said. "We're working on some hotspots right now. We'll be here throughout the day just making sure that this fire is fully extinguished."
Video shows a steeple collapsing at the convent Friday night.
