A three-alarm blaze at a historic synagogue had firefighters battling a three-alarm fire for over an hour.
Crews responded to the Congregation Poile Zedek synagogue located at 145 Neilson Street sometime around 4:19 Friday afternoon for a report of heavy fire at that location.
The fire which started on the first floor quickly spread throughout the building causing severe and extensive damage.
According to Robert Dorfman, the executive director of the congregation, he was the only one inside the synagogue when fire broke out and was able to get out unharmed.
The blaze caused several roads closures and lead to the evacuation of several nearby homes as a precautionary measures.
Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the fire was deemed accidental.
In 1995, the 100-year-old building became a historical structure.