A fire at a church, that is set to be demolished, forced the closure of major roads in downtown Kitchener on Thursday morning.

Fire officials say it started around 1:30 a.m. in a section that is an addition to the rear of the Trinity United Church.

Six people were found sleeping in the wing and got out safely.

The building is set to be demolished, making it not ‘structurally sound’ for crews to fight the fire from inside.

Fire officials say there is no power to the building which leads them to believe this fire is suspicious.

A nearby women’s shelter was also evacuated as a precaution.

Frederick Street and Duke Street remain closed and will be for majority of the day as crews continue to investigate.