CLEVELAND — Just days after the fire at St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood, Cleveland police crews were on scene Friday, blocking off the area around the church.
This all came as 3News has now learned one of the trademark features of the historic building will have to come down.
A source close to the investigation of the fire told our own Lindsay Buckingham that the dome will come down in the next few days. Crews will be putting up construction fencing around the perimeter of the church in preparation for the job.
On Saturday morning, the church shared photos of a cross being removed from the building. Crews were also on scene working near the top dome.
3News streamed live video from the crews working at the church Saturday morning, which you can watch in the player below.
An online fundraiser has been launched in an effort to generate donations to rebuild the church.
The church also provided an update saying Sunday's liturgy will be held at the St. Theodosius Cemetery at 9 a.m.
A spokesperson for the City of Cleveland told 3News on Friday that the Cleveland Division of Fire and the Department of Building and Housing responded to the church after members noticed that one of the steeples appeared to be swaying in the wind. City officials say the church and nearby properties were evacuated out of an abundance of caution.
"At this time, we’re not anticipating that we will need to demolish anything and do not believe the church is in danger of collapse as initial information indicates the structural integrity of the building is intact," a spokesperson for the City of Cleveland said at the time. "However, this information is preliminary and thus subject to change as the situation evolves and additional evaluations are completed."
In addition, city officials are asking everyone to avoid the area as West 7th Street between Professor Avenue and Starkweather Avenue remains closed until at least Sunday, June 2.
"The main dome that you can see is not very stable right now. It may potentially fall to the right side. So we do not know if we will be able to save it, if it is salvageable or not. It is a lot of stress on all of us," said St. Theodosius Priest Jan Cizmar.
Cizmar also told 3News that crews were trying to figure out how to save the dome. In addition, he mentioned how supportive the community has been since the fire happened on Tuesday.
"We feel like one big family. We are really brothers and sisters in Christ. It is not just cliché what I said, but I really mean it," said Cizmar.
Cleveland fire officials previously told 3News that Tuesday's fire at the historic St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral in the Tremont neighborhood has been ruled as accidental. Specifically, investigators say the fire was caused by roofers.
According to a Facebook post from the St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral, the main dome's structure is "very compromised" following the fire. The same source who confirmed the coming destruction of the dome told 3News damages from the fire are estimated to be "well into the millions" of dollars.
The flames broke out at the church on Tuesday afternoon at around 4:30 p.m. near Starkweather Avenue and Professor Street.
3News cameras spotted smoke pouring from the 112-year-old building. Authorities reported no injuries, but firefighters on scene requested backup battling the flames.
St. Theodosius was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, the same year it was similarly designated a Cleveland landmark. It also gained fame for its role in the Oscar-winning film "The Deer Hunter," serving as the location for the wedding between John Savage and Rutanya Alda's characters.
A GoFundMe has been setup to raise funds for repairs. You can visit the page HERE.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
Want to be among the first to know the most important local and national news? The latest sports updates? We've got you covered! You can download the free WKYC app and get the latest updates sent to your phone: Android, Apple.