Flames ripped through the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center in Pasadena, destroying the place of worship as the Eaton Fire held at about 1,000 acres early Wednesday.
Firefighters battled the wind-fanned blaze as it triggered evacuation orders and warnings in the San Gabriel Valley. As the fire consumed the temple, Alex Fernandez, a worshipper who attended the center, watched in horror as a place he loved perished before his eyes.
“I feel numb to it,” a stunned Fernandez said. “It’s like a bad, bad horrific dream to see that it’s not going to be here tomorrow. This whole place is lighting up.”…