Several construction workers were rescued from a fire Friday morning at the site where New Square’s giant new synagogue is being built after they were reported trapped on the roof of the structure.
Hillcrest Fire Chief Chris Bowers said a fire developed in the basement of 18 Jefferson Avenue around 10:38 a.m. The synagogue under construction will be “the largest synagogue in America and second largest in the world,” according to contractors McGowan Builders.
Initial calls reported four construction workers were trapped on the roof of the building. Multiple fire departments were on the scene, including Monsey, Hillcrest, Thiells and New City. The construction workers were rescued around 11 a.m. and were evaluated by Spring Hill EMS and New Square Hatzoloh responders.
“We were able to get access to the roof and have [the workers] guided down from the roof area,” Bowers said. “There’s a lot of debris in there and lot of storage, so we have to pull that apart and evacuate the smoke out of the building.”