City closes streets around St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral out of 'caution'

Crews closed off the streets surrounding St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral Friday after church members said they saw one of the steeples swaying in the wind.

There is no road access to the historic church on Starkweather Avenue near St. Olga Avenue. West 7th Street is closed between Professor and Starkweather avenues.

The city said it closed the area off "out of an abundance of caution." The church and surrounding properties were also evacuated as a precaution.

"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. However, this information is preliminary and thus subject to change as the situation evolves and additional evaluations are completed," the city said in a statement.

City officials said they are asking the community to avoid the area.

Engineers and other crews are on site currently assessing the situation. The city said the closure is expected to go through the weekend.

The fire

The iconic 110-year-old church, which was featured in the film, "The Deer Hunter," caught fire on Tuesday.

Fire officials said they believe the cause of the blaze at Saint Theodosius was accidental, the result of work being done on the roof.

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Previously, fire officials said that while there was no initial indication of structural damage from the fire, it was unusable due to water and smoke damage.

The fire caused an estimated $1 million in damage.

On Wednesday, religious leaders held a prayer service on the church steps. Hymns, prayers, and a message from Archbishop Daniel Brum comforted those saddened by the fire.

Devastation inside Saint Theodosius, Archbishop vows the church will remain a beacon of light

RELATED: Through fire and water, the vigil lamp inside Saint Theodosius never went out

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay for repairs.

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