Historic Jewish synagogue built over 80 years ago destroyed by Eaton Fire in Pasadena

One of the three fast-moving wildfires in southern California has destroyed a historic Jewish synagogue near Los Angeles.

The Eaton Fire, which began on Tuesday evening, engulfed the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in suburban Los Angeles overnight. Photos and videos shared by local news media and residents show the synagogue in flames, with a bright orange sky as the backdrop.

Several neighboring temples have expressed their condolences for the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, whose congregation has ties to the region that date back more than 150 years.

"Our hearts go out to the entire community and particularly those members of the Pasadena temple (who) have been so directly impacted, many of whom also have lost or are still in danger of losing their homes," Temple Beth Israel, located in Pomona, California, wrote in a Facebook post. "We will, of course, open our hearts and our resources in anyway that we can be helpful."

Neither the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center nor the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection immediately responded for comment when contacted by USA TODAY on Wednesday.

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Jewish temple has century-old history

The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center's congregation has ties to the Pasadena area dating back to 1874. It was during this year that Maurice and Mina Rosenbaum moved to the area, according to the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center website. The Rosenbaums were the first Jewish residents in the city, the site says.

There were three attempts to organize an official Jewish congregation, in 1907, 1912 and then successfully in 1921, according to the website. In 1921, the Temple B'nai Israel of Pasadena was accepted by the state of California and a new synagogue was constructed in 1923.

More: Which landmarks are affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles? Here's what we know.

Not long before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the congregation built a new synagogue, where the current one stands today, according to the website. Over the years, the synagogue and congregation has ebbed and flowed in size. By 1956, the congregation adopted its current name, the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.

In addition to the synagogue, the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center housed the Weizmann Day School and B'nai Simcha Pre-School. According to the temple and center's website, these institutions were the only Jewish day and pre-schools in the San Gabriel Valley.

Palisades, Eaton, Hurst fires rage on

The Eaton Fire is one of three wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area, with all beginning on Tuesday. The Palisades Fire was the first, starting around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and scorching nearly 3,000 acres between Santa Monica and Malibu, according to Cal Fire. Around the same time, the Hurst Fire began in the San Fernando Valley and has since consumed about 500 acres.

As of Wednesday afternoon, at least two people were killed and more than 30,000 people have fled their homes in Los Angeles County. All three fires remained 0% contained on Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire.

Contributing: John Bacon

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfire destroys 84-year-old historic Jewish synagogue in Pasadena