The smell of smoke and a sense of loss hung in the air for a Sheepshead Bay church Saturday.

A three-alarm fire tore through the Emmanuel Episcopal Church around 1 a.m. The back of the church, which houses a community center, suffered the most damage.

Pastor Alexander Gunthropes says the community will work hard to rebuild the center that is used by three different congregations. For years, church members have been trying to get landmark status for the historic church.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.