Northfield Synagogue Roof Hit by Lightning
From the Atlantic City Press Published: Friday, June 06, 2008
NORTHFIELD - Beth Israel Reform Congregation synagogue took a "direct hit" from a bolt of lightning Wednesday evening, igniting a fire that damaged parts of the roof.
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Lightning from the passing storm struck the 22-year-old building on Shore Road shortly after 7 p.m., Rabbi David Weis said, starting a fire on the roof above the auditorium that was quickly doused by the sprinkler system. The only person in the building was the live-in custodian, Weis said.
"There was some damage to the trusses up on the roof," he said. "There was also a lot of smoke in the building and a lot of water damage (from the sprinklers). ... A lot of cosmetic stuff."
A large section of carpeting and some wall covering will have to be replaced, Weis said, "but in the scheme of things we're pretty lucky."
Northfield Fire Chief Henry Martinelli said that firefighters arrived within minutes of the lightning strike and stayed on the scene for about an hour, but there wasn't much fire to fight. "(The fire) never had a chance to go anywhere," Martinelli said. "As soon as it started it was out. If anything, there was more damage from the sprinkler water on the floor. But if the place hadn't been sprinklered, they would have had a problem."
