A fire destroyed a centuries-old funeral home early Sunday morning, reducing the historic Hill-Skeffington Funeral Home to ruins.
Firefighters were called to the scene just before 4 a.m. to tackle a fire that tore through the building’s south side and spread rapidly, WJAR reports.
Originally established in the 1800s, the funeral home had a long history in East Greenwich.
Fire officials reported that no one was inside at the time, though several bodies were inside awaiting burial. One firefighter sustained minor injuries. Freezing temperatures complicated the efforts to contain the fire, causing two ladder pipes to freeze up.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.