Small fire at Maine Jewish Museum leads to damage

A small fire was quickly extinguished in the sanctuary of the Maine Jewish Museum on Thursday, though this resulted in significant water damage, a Portland fire official told The Portland Press Herald.

“There’s a lot of water damage,” said Deputy Fire Chief John Hendricks. “Quite a bit of water was put into the building.”

The historic worship area, called the Etz Chaim Synagogue, is on the second floor of the three-story building.

Hendricks said the fire was situated mostly in the cabinets behind the altar. He noted that the Portland Fire Department is probing the cause.