A fire broke out Friday night at the Satmar V’Yoel Moshe Shul on Northumberland Street in Salford, sending thick plumes of smoke over the city. Emergency services responded swiftly to the blaze, which reportedly began around 5 p.m. in offices on the building’s top floor.
Six fire engines from Manchester Central, Blackley, Phillips Park, Salford, and Broughton fire stations arrived to tackle the flames.
Shul representatives suspect an electrical fault may have caused the fire, though they noted it was too early to confirm. The flames were extinguished by approximately 7:30 p.m., and crews remained on-site to ensure the area was safe.
There was no word on the Sifrei Torah.
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All Sifrei Torah and Tefilin are B”H safe! While there is substantial water damage in the shul below, the fire was contained to the 3rd floor.
The Minyonim of that particular Satmar shul, took place next door in the side-room of the Litvishe Heichal Avrohom.
Sifrei torch all OK bh
To provide some context, Shabbos in Manchester was 4.35, shkia at 4.50pm.
Satmar daven mincha after shkia, so no tefillos had started, though people were exiting the mikve.
That stretch of Northumberland Street has five shuls right next to each other. Immediately to the left of Satmar is Aguda, they had davenned mincha but evacuated as a precaution, taking Sifrei Torah with them to Ezras Torah next door, where they davenned maariv bizmano as usual after Ezras Torah had finished their maariv.
The stretch of road was closed all evening to pedestrians (open for residents for access), so people had to walk round the next block (Ashbourne Grove). The following morning a fire engine came again, presumably just to check over as a precaution.
Minyanim are continuing as usual in the heichal and one of the side rooms. Damage mostly to offices and vaiber shul.