LES Synagogue Fire Investigated As City Records Reveal A Decade Of Safety Fears

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — The cause of a fire that destroyed the historic Beth Hamedrash Hagadol synagogue on the Lower East Side was still not known Monday, officials said. But city records show multiple complaints and violations had been filed regarding safety at the decrepit building over the past decade.

The blaze started about 7 p.m. on Sunday and burned the historic building at 60 Norfolk St. for five hours before firefighters managed to put it out, FDNY officials said. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, an FDNY spokesman said.

Investigators were on the scene Monday afternoon trying to find clues to what started it.

An NYPD spokesman confirmed to Patch that authorities were reviewing surveillance footage from the area that shows three kids running from the area around the time of the fire, but it's unclear whether they were in the building.

The synagogue, which was originally build as a Baptist church in 1850, has been vacant since 2007, when the dwindling congregation moved to a nearby place of worship. A recent complaint filed with the city's Department of Building's requested an inspection of the site to make sure it's safe.

"It used to be a synagogue, now it's a vacant building," the February 2017 complaint reads. "It looks unstable. There are falling debris. The building needs to be inspected so it doesn't collapse. It's serious condition."

A city inspector said that the building was found not to be in violation of any city codes upon inspection two days after that complaint was filed.

Records from the city's Department of Buildings show multiple violations and complaints filed against the synagogue for its state of disrepair.

Among them is one filed in 2011 in which the city's Environmental Control Board issued an "immediately hazardous" violation against the building. According to the violation notice, "the entire ceiling is breaking apart and sections have fallen to the [floor]." The building's owner paid the $1,000 fine but did not take steps to address the issues, according to the DOB records.

The fire department has requested a structural inspection of the building's remains in the wake of the blaze, according to DOB records.

Watch: See The Aftermath Of The Lower East Side Synagogue Fire

The New York chapter of the Anti-Defamation League said it was monitoring the investigation.

"We were heartbroken and disturbed to see the images of a synagogue in flames, even one that has not been in use for several years," Deputy Director Etzion Neuer said in a statement to Mic. "We will continue to monitor the situation as it proceeds."

State assembly member Yuh-Line Niou, who represents the Lower East Side, said that her office was monitoring the area. She said she was in contact with the city agencies responding to the blaze and checking on the welfare of nearby residents. The synagogue neighbors a senior housing facility.

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This post has been updated with additional information from the NYPD.

Lead image via Ciara McCarthy/Patch.