Eaton Fire destroys Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in Pasadena
The Eaton Fire began Tuesday evening in Altadena amid dangerously strong winds.
By Karla Rendon ••
NBC Universal, Inc.
Despite efforts from firefighters to save it, the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center was destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Tracey Leong reports for the NBC4 News at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.
Flames ripped through the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center overnight, destroying the place of worship as the Eaton Fire scorched the area early Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said on Wednesday that the Center is one of more than 100 structures destroyed in the blaze northeast of Los Angeles.
Five people have died in the Eaton Fire, which is one of several major wildfires burning right now in the Los Angeles area. By late Wednesday morning, Cal Fire estimated that the Eaton Fire had already burned over 10,000 acres.
As the sun rose over Los Angeles Wednesday morning, the first images showed how much damage is being left behind by multiple wind-driven fires.
Melissa Levy, the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center's executive director, said staff evacuated on Tuesday night and the synagogue’s Torah scrolls were taken to the home of a community member. She said it appears the synagogue caught fire and buildings have burned.
“We are still assessing the situation and right now our primary focus is on our community members and their safety as many of them have also lost their homes,” Levy told The Associated Press in an email.
As the fire consumed the temple, Alex Fernandez, a worshipper who attended the center, watched in horror as a place he loved perished before his eyes.
“I feel numb to it,” a stunned Fernandez said. “It’s like a bad, bad horrific dream to see that it’s not going to be here tomorrow. This whole place is lighting up.”
The Eaton Fire began sometime around 6:30 p.m. in Altadena while strong Santa Ana winds slammed Southern California. Several evacuation orders were issued in the San Gabriel Valley.
Thousands of firefighters are battling the wind-fanned infernos that have triggered evacuation warnings and orders all over the Los Angeles area.
To keep up with the latest wildfire fire coverage, click here for NBCLA’s liveblog.
Ethan Swope/AP
Megan Mantia, left, and her boyfriend Thomas, only first game given, return to Mantia’s fire-damaged home after the Eaton Fire swept through the area, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif.
Ethan Swope/AP
A firefighter battles the Eaton Fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif.
Photo by Official Flickr Account of CAL FIRE / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images
A view of the coast as flames rage across Los Angeles, California, United States on January 09, 2025.
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The Eaton Fire burns a vehicle Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif.
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A firefighting helicopter drops water as the Sunset Fire burns in the Hollywood Hills on Jan. 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Mark J. Terrill/AP
The Palisades Fire burns homes on a hilltop in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Cars destroyed by the Eaton Fire sit in the parking area of a burned auto shop on Jan. 08, 2025 in Altadena.
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A home burns during the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Jan. 8, 2025.
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Vehicles burn during the Eaton Fire in Altadena on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.
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Police officers remove an elderly resident from her home during the Eaton Fire on January 8, 2025.
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A home is fully engulfed by the Palisades fire along Haverford Avenue in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Brothers Glenn Watson, left, and his brother Wes, return to their Pacific Palisades neighborhood to view the damage from the Palisades fire on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Luxury beachfront homes go up in flames in Malibu along Pacific Coast Highway near Carbon Canyon Road in the Palisades Fire on Jan. 8, 2025.
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A palm tree burns during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Strong winds blow embers from homes burning in the Eaton Fire on Jan. 7, 2025 in Pasadena.
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A staircase left standing after a house burned during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Firefighters stage during the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades.
AP Photo/Ethan Swope
The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
AP Photo/Etienne Laurent
A person tries to hose down embers from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Firefighters battle flames from the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades.
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Flames from a brush fire pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds burn a home on Jan. 7, 2025 in Pacific Palisades.
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A firefighter battles the advancing Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades Jan. 7, 2025.
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Smoke from the Palisades Fire fills the sky as seen from Santa Monica Beach, with the Santa Monica Pier and Ferris Wheel in the foreground on Jan. 7, 2025.
Jonathan Lopez
This image of the Palisades Fire was captured from a vantage point at the Centinela Hospital
Medical Center in Inglewood.
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A distant view of the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A car burns during the Pacific Palisades fire on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Lifeguard towers go up in flames along Malibu beach in the Palisades Fire on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A view of the Palisades Fire from East Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025.
Rod and Jennifer Taylor
Smoke rises over a hill in the Pacific Palisades area.
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Smoke from the Palisades Fire as seen from LAX Jan. 7, 2025.
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A view of flames Jan. 7, 2025 in Pacific Palisades.
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A view of flames Jan. 7, 2025 in Pacific Palisades.
A view of the Palisades Fire on the LA County coast Jan. 7, 2025.
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Firefighters run as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
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People watch the Palisades fire from the California Incline in Santa Monica on Jan. 7, 2025.
A house burns in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A fire department bulldozer moves abandoned cars in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
A view of Santa Monica Pier with smoke from the Palisades Fire in the background on Jan. 7, 2025.
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People evacuate along Sunset Boulevard as the Palisades Fire burns amid a powerful windstorm on Jan. 7, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
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Smoke and fire from the Palisades Fire fills the Santa Monica skyline as seen from Santa Monica Beach on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A firefighter battles the blaze on El Medio Avenue during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A firefighter in front of a burning structure during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7, 2025.
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A playground burns in a residential neighborhood during the Eaton fire in Pasadena on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Firefighters battle flames during the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7, 2025.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
Elderly patients are quickly evacuated into an armored vehicle as embers and flames approach during the Eaton fire in Pasadena on Jan. 7, 2025.
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Elderly patients are quickly evacuated into emergency vehicles as embers and flames approach during the Eaton fire in Pasadena on Jan. 7, 2025.
Nick Ut/Getty Images
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – January 08: A house is on fire from the Eaton Fire in the Altadena neighborhood on January 08, 2025 in PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – JANUARY 8: A house in on fire as residents try to escape the site in Pacific Palisades, California, Los Angeles, United States on January 8, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
File. A house in on fire as residents try to escape the site in Pacific Palisades, California, Los Angeles, United States on January 8, 2025. A fast-moving wildfire has forced 30,000 people to evacuate, with officials warning that worsening winds could further escalate the blaze.
Nick Ut/Getty Images
A firefighter sprays water on a house to protect it from the Eaton Fire in the Altadena neighborhood on January 08, 2025 in PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the death toll has risen, confirming three more people have died. Additionally, an undetermined amount of homes and businesses have been destroyed. (Photo by Nick Ut/Getty Images)
