TRAGIC UPDATE: Devastating Fire Consumes Chabad Shul in Pomona

By Rockland Daily Staff

UPDATE 1:16pm:

Tragic news has struck the community as Sifrei Torah were discovered burst and heavily damaged. This heartbreaking discovery has left the community in shock and mourning.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Emergency services responded to a devastating fire that broke out at the Lubavitch Shul located on North Ridge Road at the corner of Overlook Road in Pomona. Neighbors captured footage of the flames on video shortly before 6:00 am, showing the fire rapidly spreading and consuming much of the building.

The fire reportedly started from a propane tank explosion in the rear of the building and quickly spread, engulfing the entire building in flames.

Fortunately, the building, which was the former residence of the late Dr. Zelenko a'h, was empty at the time of the incident, and no injuries have been reported. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby structures. 

The shul’s leadership has indicated that the Torahs were stored in a fireproof safe, but they have not yet been able to access the building to assess the condition of the sefrei Torah. Sadly, many tefillin and sefarim were burnt in the blaze, adding to the heartbreak of the community which has lost the second largest shul in the community right before the upcoming Yom Tov.

Additionally, the fire spread to the brush behind the home as firefighters continued to contain the blaze.