1 dead after fire at Park Avenue church

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — One person is dead after a fire broke out at the Immanuel Baptist Church on Park Avenue Thursday morning.

The Rochester Fire Department responded around 8:30 a.m. for the report of the fire. RFD officials say they arrived on scene within three minutes.

Officials say a deceased person was discovered in the basement of the church. No other occupants were found inside the building.

The identity or age has not been revealed at this point and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

“We don’t take this lightly. Anytime we have a fatal fire or someone gets severely or gravely injured we don’t take it lightly as a department so this is a sad day for us anytime we have a fatal fire,” Lt. Ryan Fleming with the Rochester Police Department said.

Officials say there were working smoke alarms. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Fleming said every time there is a fatal fire, the Rochester Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are both called to the scene to collaborate on the investigation.

Officials did say no other injuries were reported.