LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 60 firefighters battled a 3-alarm fire at a vacant church in downtown Louisville.

The Louisville Fire Department said the fire is in the 200 block of East Pin Alley. That's off East Broadway, not far from South Hancock Street.

Capt. Donovan Sims said reports came in around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, of a "vacant structure with possible people hanging out of the window with smoke on the roof."

The vacant St. Paul's German Evangelical Church on East Broadway caught fire Wednesday night.

Sims said crews were on scene within two minutes to find heavy fire in the rear of the vacant St. Paul's German Evangelical Church on East Broadway, near South Brook Street. Within three to four minutes, the fire was updated to 2-alarm. Sims confirmed to WDRB just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday that the fire had been updated to a 3-alarm fire.

Within 10 minutes, Sims said crews went into defensive operations and evacuated the structure, with aerial streams of water in an effort to contain it.

Timber and flammable materials inside the old church building made it difficult to fight the fire.

Sims said there were reports of one victim, but they left the scene before they could get medical attention. 

So far, searches have been negative and there have been no other reports of victims, rescues or injuries, Sims said.

Crews were still on scene as of 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning and continued to spray water inside the building.

There have been fires at the building before, according to Sims. It's still unclear what started this fire, but Metro Arson is on scene to assist in the investigation. LG&E and MSD are also on scene. 

St. Paul's German Evangelical Church is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

This story may be updated.

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