The fire department took much longer to arrive than usual due to a strike, residents claim. The strike was due to the fact that firefighters have not been paid in over a month.Though a Ynet report claims they arrived in four minutes, Modi'in residents say it took between twenty minutes and a half-hour.
After ascertaining that there were no people inside, the firemen battled the fire and eventually gained control of it. The firefighters then rescued the synagogue's four Torah scrolls. Two of them were burnt beyond repair, one is able to be repaired and the status of the fourth is uncertain.
The inside of the synagogue was completely destroyed and there is a high likelihood that the roof will collapse. It appears the synagogue will have to be razed and completely rebuilt.
Police are not ruling out arson, though nothing has yet been found that would point to such a conclusion. The possibility of an electrical problem is being given the most credence. Residents report that a group of people were studying in the synagogue when they saw a spark, which quickly ignited the ceiling and spread throughout the building very quickly.
"We are talking about a huge fire that spread very quickly," said Fire Chief Meir Harel, commander of the Ayalon Fire Brigade. "At this stage it is unknown how the fire broke out, but the result is that the synagogue is completely destroyed."
At this time it is unknown what the cost of rebuilding the synagogue will be.