The Torah world was shocked and stunned by a tragic fire at Yeshivas Or HaChaim in Jerusalem that claimed three sifrei Torah. Sets of tefillin, sifrei kodesh and furniture were also consumed in the blaze, which took place in the beis medrash used by the kollel.
Talmidim and avreichim at the yeshiva said the fire broke out at 4:00 a.m., quickly spreading to the Aron Kodesh, the bookcases and the bimoh.
Avreichim reported that according to the police investigation, the fire was caused by an electrical short above the Aron Kodesh. When a bit of the ceiling fell, it set fire to the Aron Kodesh, which was utterly destroyed along with tefillin, sifrei kodesh and writings by the avreichim kept in the lower part of the Aron Kodesh.
They said the beis medrash is in a modern building that was built to meet safety guidelines and that the Aron Kodesh was lined with protective metal, but due to the enormous heat the inside was like an oven, melting the letters of the sifrei Torah; some of the inner parchments were left without writing.
Smoke detectors had been installed throughout the building, enabling firefighters to arrive quickly, but the sifrei Torah had already been burned.
