A vegetation fire that broke near the Jewish Community Center in San Luis Obispo spread onto the facility's 10-acre property before firefighters contained it at just over 18 acres.
The fire was reported on July 5 on the 200 block of O'Connor Way before spreading to the Jewish Community Center property on Laureate Lane.
Janelle Eagle, co-president of the Jewish Community Center Federation board of directors, said the experience was frightening for community members who rushed to the property.
"The chilling experience of having so many of us feel so worried then rush to the property was something I won't forget," Eagle said.
CAL FIRE Public Information Officer Toni Davis said investigators determined the fire started from a fire pit.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fire crews contain vegetation fire in San Luis Obispo
No major damage to the main building was reported. The fire burned land and a barn structure behind the main facility and came within feet of the center's tennis courts, according to Eagle.
"We wanted to get here as quickly as possible to make sure that anything that was really precious, like our Torah scrolls, could be protected and removed," Eagle said. "Thankfully, by the time we got here, most of CAL FIRE had already put it out."
Alpha Epsilon Pi, Cal Poly's Jewish fraternity, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help repair the damaged land. By Friday morning, the fundraiser was close to reaching its $5,000 goal.
According to fraternity President Joshua Pinsky, funds raised will be used to repair the damaged land ahead of Camp Shoreshim, San Luis Obispo's only Jewish summer camp for children.
"Children play around in that grassy area, and a lot of other events can happen in such an open area like that," Pinsky said. "With a fire like that happening, it just makes it much more difficult for them to accommodate everyone's needs."
