UPDATE 12:15 p.m. – Kamloops Fire Rescue says it has been able to save a lot of the historic artifacts from inside St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in downtown Kamloops, which caught fire this morning.

Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Cail says crews were able to contain the fire mostly to the exterior of the building, as well as the attic.

“The majority of the fire was kept to the exterior of the building, short of a bit getting into the attic,” Cail told Radio NL. “The majority of the damage, for sure, will just be the smoke and water within the remaining interior of the building.”

Cail says crews are now working to preserve the interior of the 137 year old, fully-wooden, building.

“Taking any of the old valuables out of the building. We’re covering things like the organ, and making sure there’s no water damage done to that,” he said. “Once the fire is deemed out, then we’ll have security on site. The building will be boarded up.”

Cail says crews were well aware of the historic significance of the building as they rolled onto the scene Thursday morning.

“We treat every structure fire the same but of course, this one had some extra special meaning to everybody,” Cail said. “It means a lot to everybody in the city of Kamloops of course,” noted Cail.

“Firefighting tactics were the same, but there was definitely a bit more attention put into salvage and overhaul with preservation.”

In a statement, the City of Kamloops says it is “saddened” by the fire at St. Andrews on the Square, calling the location “a pinnacle of culture and heritage” in the downtown core.

“We do not yet know the extent of the damage or what the future holds, but we will move forward with optimism that this treasured facility will not be lost,” the statement said. “Anyone with upcoming bookings will be contacted as soon as more information is available.”

Cail says fire inspectors are currently trying to determine the initial cause of the fire.

Photos on social media show a shopping cart on fire at the back of the Church shortly before crews arrived on scene at around 9am.

BC Hydro crews have restored power to much of the downtown core after the fire knocked out a transformer, putting much of the downtown in the dark for around an hour before crews were able to restore power to most parts of the area.

Public transit to and from downtown was also rerouted for a short while, but is now serving the downtown once again.

According to the City of Kamloops, which maintains the building, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church is the oldest public building remaining in Kamloops.

It was built shortly after Canadian Pacific Railway construction was completed through Kamloops in 1887.

The church was built of wood in the days before brick construction in Kamloops.

More to come…