Fire breaks out at Suffern synagogue during Sabbath service

Congregants tell News 12 they were in the middle of their morning prayers at Congregation Bais Torah when they smelled smoke and called 911.

News 12 Staff

Mar 25, 2023, 8:14 PM

Updated 410 days ago

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Firefighters battled a fire at a Suffern synagogue that started during Sabbath service.
Congregants tell News 12 they were in the middle of their morning prayers at Congregation Bais Torah when they smelled smoke and called 911.
"We were originally dispatched for an automatic fire alarm at 9:38 this morning. Immediately after, someone called 911 stating that the building was on fire. We arrived within about 5 minutes,” says Dennis Murphy Jr., of the Tallman Volunteer Fire Department.
Tallman, Suffern, Monsey, Mahwah, Hill Crest and Spring Valley fire departments all responded.
Officials say it took about 30 minutes to get the fire under control.
“There were a lot of void spaces and access issues to the fire, so we had to make multiple cuts through the roof and the ceiling below to find the main body of the fire,” Murphy says. “It was kind of like playing Jenga with the roof because we had to cut around certain things without causing any other issues."
Officials tell News 12 two firefighters sustained minor injuries but refused medical care.
The Town of Ramapo fire inspector is still investigating the cause of the fire.


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