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Kids Alert Adults of Fire at Church Shortly Before Mass

By DNAinfo Staff | March 15, 2015 12:55pm | Updated on March 16, 2015 1:40pm
 A fire broke out on March 15, 2005 at Notre Dame de Chicago church in Chicago.
Notre Dame de Chicago church fire
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LITTLE ITALY — A fire broke out Sunday morning at Notre Dame de Chicago church just as mass was about to begin, church officials and parishioners said.

The fire at 1335 W. Harrison St. started in the basement but officials were not sure what caused the blaze at the church, which was built in 1887.

Flames went up an old laundry chute and at some point hit an electrical panel causing thick black smoke to billow out, authorities said.

Parishioners said two children first smelled smoke in a bathroom and reported it.

A few hundred people were waiting for the 10 a.m. mass to begin when the fire was discovered and the worshippers evacuated.

A firefighter at the scene said no one was injured.

Crews broke out windows on the second and third stories of the building to clear out the smoke.

The parish began in the late 19th Century as a way to serve French-speaking immigrants to Chicago. Today, according to its website, it features "a diverse and multilingual" congregation. The church building has been renovated a number of times over the years, most recently in 2005.

The church's website includes a photo from a 1978 fire that engulfed its dome.

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