Detroit officials are investigating what sparked a fire that burned through a historic, century-old church building for more than four hours Tuesday.

The Detroit Fire Department received a call at 12:34 a.m. about a blaze at the site of the former St. Agnes Catholic Church, at the corner of Rosa Parks and LaSalle Gardens, said Corey McIsaac, the DFD director of media relations.

Within four minutes, the department was at the scene and Fire Chief David Nelson called a second alarm, activating more crews, McIsaac said.

While they managed to preserve the “structural integrity” of the vacant building, she added, its old rectory next door was rendered a total loss.

Due to the condition of the building, firefighters were not able to get inside, McIsaac said. “They did an awesome job, and due to their hard work and great work, they were able to preserve the structure of the church building.”

There were no injuries to residents or firefighters Tuesday night, according to the department.

The St. Agnes Catholic Church has long been considered a community landmark, drawing figures such as Mother Teresa, who visited the building twice, once in June 1979 and once June 1981, and established a convent for the Missionaries of Charity Sisters at 1969 LaSalle Gardens, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The St. Agnes Parish was established in 1913 by Bishop John Foley and the spot celebrated its first Mass in 1914 in a frame house a few blocks away from the current site. Construction on the 1,500-seat site designed by the firm Van Leyen, Schilling, Keough & Reynolds started in May 1922, according to the archdiocese.

The church was blessed in June 1924 in a ceremony led by Bishop Michael J. Gallagher. St. Agnes Parish was closed in 1989 and the Martyrs of Uganda Parish was established at the site that year, the AOD said.

The Martyrs of Uganda Parish was closed in 2006, and the property was sold in 2009.

Holly Fournier, the AOD’s media and public relations manager, told The Detroit News: “The Archdiocese of Detroit has had no connection to the property since then and has no information about current ownership or plans for the site.”

In 2022, the Detroit City Planning Commission approved a recommendation to the City Council to approve a rezoning request to redevelop the 5-acre site, according to Historic Detroit.

afayad@detroitnews.com

From the northern lights to wildfire smoke leading to more vibrant sunrises and sunsets, Metro Detroit is getting more reasons to look toward the sky.

The skies will be mostly clear to partly cloudy on Sunday night, which will allow viewing opportunities for the aurora borealis, commonly called the northern lights.

People may need a jacket while staring at the sky. After evening temperatures in the 50s, Sunday night’s lows will range from the lower- to upper-40s. Lows will be near 40 degrees in the Thumb and upper-40s in Allen Park, Flat Rock, Detroit, and Warren.

Northern Lights

How to view the northern lights? For the best chance to see the display, look toward the north and find a location away from urban centers and light pollution. Living or traveling farther north will also increase the chances of seeing the lights. Best viewing will be until about 2 a.m.

The Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a “G4” (or severe level) Geomagnetic Storm Watch due to a recent burst of plasma from the sun. The northern lights are produced as electrically charged particles from the sun’s atmosphere crash into Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Canadian wildfire smoke

Apart from the northern lights, Southeast Michigan is still keeping an eye on the smoke from Canadian wildfires. The smoke is forecast to become denser Monday evening.

Fire conditions emerging in Southeast Michigan

Meanwhile, the dry and hot conditions will elevate Southeast Michigan’s own fire danger ratings to “high” and “very high” for the start of the workweek. Dead leaves, fallen twigs, or dead grass could become fuel for grass fires. Use heightened caution or consider postponing open burning, and always check for burn bans.

Monday

Under mostly sunny skies, highs will jump to around 80 degrees on Monday. Westerly winds will be 5 to 10 mph.

Light smoke will linger into the night. Otherwise, skies will be partly cloudy. Lows will be in the upper-50s.

Tuesday

Temperatures will go up another notch on Tuesday. Highs will be in the mid- to upper-80s. Skies will be mostly sunny, but wildfire smoke could lead to haze. Lows will be around 70 degrees.

Looking Ahead

With temperatures returning to the mid- to upper-80s on Wednesday, rain will also return. Plan for rain showers and the chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening as a front moves in. Showers are possible into early Thursday. Another chance of rain will arrive Thursday afternoon and last into Friday morning.

Highs will slide into the mid- to upper-70s for the second half of the week.

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