Fire destroys Pomona shul, investigation underway

A fire engulfed a shul in Pomona early this morning.

Fire officials say the alarm was raised around 5:30 a.m. when a worshipper noticed smoke and called the fire department.

Upon arrival, firefighters were met with a fierce fire emanating from the front and rear windows on the right side of the building.

Raw video from fire

Although the structure appeared to be a multimillion-dollar home amidst a neighborhood of similar houses, it was serving as a community shul. The intensity of the flames rendered it impossible for crews to battle the fire from inside.

Approximately 80 firefighters from six companies converged to combat the fire, employing water from both above and below at various angles. Additionally, the shul's proximity to woods posed a risk of embers igniting hot spots, requiring extra vigilance from the firefighters.

No one was inside the shul at the time of the fire, and there were no reported injuries among the firefighters. However, concerns arose regarding the religious scrolls stored in a safe within the building. Chris Kear, Rockland County fire coordinator, expressed efforts to work with the rabbi and building owner to secure the safe, despite its location beneath the collapsed floor.

"We know that there are religious scrolls in a safe in there, and we're trying to work with the rabbi and the building owner to secure that for them because we know that's very important for them."

The severity of the damage necessitated the demolition of what remained of the structure to facilitate investigation into the fire's cause. At present, investigators have yet to determine the cause.