A four-alarm fire ripped through St. Anne鈥檚 Anglican Church in Toronto on Sunday morning, severely damaging a national historic site and destroying the 鈥減riceless鈥� Group of Seven murals inside.

Fire officials said the blaze broke out shortly before 8 a.m., fuelling spires of smoke and shooting flames through the domed roof of the Byzantine Revival building erected in 1908.

There was no one inside the church in the city鈥檚 Little Portugal neighbourhood at the time and no injuries were reported, officials said.

Early paintings by three Group of Seven members and other prominent Canadian artists were installed along the interior in the 1920s. The murals decorated the chancel and the dome, which was destroyed in the blaze.

Father Don Beyers, rector of St. Anne鈥檚, said the 鈥渋nvaluable鈥� works were lost to the flames.

鈥淭he artwork was priceless. It was murals, beautiful murals,鈥� he told reporters. 鈥淭hey were stunning.

鈥淭his was the only church that featured artwork by members of the Group of Seven. And I鈥檓 sorry to say that鈥檚 been lost, from what I can see.鈥�

Jim Jessop, a deputy chief at Toronto Fire Services, confirmed the loss.

鈥淭he building is completely destroyed right now, as are all the artifacts inside,鈥� he said.

As flames began to engulf the roof on Sunday morning, firefighters pulled out due to the risk it would collapse, officials said.

Crews extinguished the main body of the fire by mid-morning, they said. The cause had not been determined as of Sunday afternoon.

In 1923, the church commissioned founding Group of Seven member J.E.H. MacDonald to oversee designs depicting the life of Christ on the building鈥檚 interior, according to the St. Anne鈥檚 website. MacDonald then signed on nine other artists, including Franklin Carmichael and Frederick Varley.

The three men formed part of the school of landscape painters known as the Group of Seven, renowned for their vibrant depictions of windswept forests and boreal ruggedness that helped forge a romanticized sense of Canadian vitality and independence.

鈥淭his is an extraordinary loss,鈥� Beyers said a block from the building.

鈥淣ot only was the art important, but the church itself was important architecturally. It was one of the rare Anglican churches that was in the Byzantine style, an Eastern Christian style,鈥� he said, deeming the incident 鈥渄evastating鈥� and 鈥渉eartbreaking.鈥�

Beneath the murals, the interior featured sparkling mosaics of Italian glass-and-gold tile in Byzantine style spanning several walls, decoration that was added in the 1960s.

The now gutted space hosted choral performances, meals, musical theatre, film productions, weddings and other special events, as well as providing a place of worship and prayer.

Coun. Alejandra Bravo, who represents the ward where the church sits, said residents are expressing 鈥渢remendous鈥� grief over the destruction of a space that offered critical community support.

鈥淭his is much more than just a building. This is a place that has provided support, a home, love, brought people from the community together 鈥� and provided the spiritual support that people so desperately need in times when they鈥檝e fallen on hard times,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something that we cannot replace in Canada and in the world.鈥�

Marit Stiles, who represents the riding provincially and also leads the Ontario NDP, offered a note of hope.

鈥淭his is going to be a tremendous loss for the community, but it鈥檚 not over, because we will rebuild.鈥�

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Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press