A decades-old matzah bakery in Boro Park was left devastated early Wednesday morning when a massive five-alarm fire tore through the facility that for years produced matza under the CHK and supplied matzos to thousands of Lubavitcher families. Founded in 1909 on the Lower East Side and relocated to Brooklyn in 1920, the Boro Park Seder Matzah Bakery produced more than 600,000 pounds of matzah annually.

The fire broke out around 2 a.m. at the bakery, located on 36th Street in Kensington, quickly engulfing the building where matzah had been baked for generations. According to firefighters, the blaze began near the bakery ovens and spread rapidly after igniting stacked matzah boxes and the matzah.

A mashgiach at the bakery told Anash.org that the fire started from the gas unit near the oven that was recently mandated by the government, which apparently blew up inside the bakery.

Heavy smoke and intense flames were visible from blocks away as FDNY units rushed to the scene, eventually deploying more than 175 firefighters and EMS personnel in what became an hours-long battle under freezing conditions.

At least four people were injured in the incident. During the firefight, part of the building collapsed, briefly trapping a firefighter inside.

“There was a collapse of the rear portion. It trapped one of our members, but we were quickly able to extricate that member from the scene. He suffered some serious injuries, and he went to a local hospital with burns to his hands, and also some potential respiratory burns. Last report is that the member is now stable,” Assistant Fire Chief Mike Woods said.

A child and two adults in a nearby building were also hurt. Woods said one of the adults suffered “a serious respiratory injury,” while FDNY later confirmed that the other adult and the child sustained minor injuries. All are reported to be in stable condition.

Firefighters worked through thick smoke to access the roof as the fire raged. Although the main body of the blaze was knocked down after more than an hour, officials said it took approximately eleven hours for New York’s Bravest to fully extinguish the fire.

The fire was declared under control around 5:30 a.m., but later reignited, prompting another emergency response. Fire marshals remain on scene investigating the cause.

The Department of Buildings has issued a full vacate order for the bakery due to “extensive fire damage, including a partially collapsed roof,” and reported that adjacent properties also sustained fire damage.

Photos: Zevi Klein/Ari Freund-BoroPark24