By O'Ryan Johnson and Marie Szaniszlo 
The Boston Herald  

AP Photo/Lisa Poole Firefighters hose down the four-story apartment building that was gutted by fire.

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — An eight-alarm fire scorched the heart of downtown late Friday, killing a groundskeeper, razing a synagogue and showering the fishing village in fiery embers, soot and ash.

"It looked like you were walking into hell,'' said Dave Borge, who lives downtown above a coffee shop and watched in awe as the blaze grew larger and consumed the four-story Lorraine Apartments and the 100-year-old Temple Ahavat Achim. "After that it was snowing glowing embers. My neighbors were on their roofs brushing them off to stop the fire from spreading.''

Fire Chief Barry McKay said the blaze sparked in the apartment building's basement about 11:45 p.m. and firefighters next door at headquarters rushed inside. But the fire quickly gained the upper hand, racing up the stairwell and choking exits with thick black smoke.

Gloucester Mayor John Bell said the town was nearly incinerated.

"The heat, the flames, pieces of the roof, all were flying around on fire at the same time. Ultimately the wind determined which building was going to be the next victim,'' he said. "In terms of the potential for the entire downtown to catch fire, this was the worst blaze I've seen.''

McKay ordered firefighters out of the building about 12:30 a.m. when the fire pierced the building's roof and was in the process of getting a head count of residents when a fire deputy saw a man, later identified by the landlord as resident Bob Taylor, calling for help in a third-story window.

He said a team of cops and jakes heaved a rescue ladder to that side of the building and a fit, fresh-out-of-the-academy firefighter scrambled up to try to save him.

"The window was not your standard window,'' McKay said. "It was narrow, only about yay big. He can see the man inside, laying on the floor. He takes off his mask and tank and passes them to the guy behind him and goes inside.''

McKay said the unprotected jake dodged flames and reached Taylor.

"He could feel the heat and flames on the back of his neck,'' McKay said. But the victim, who was unconscious, was too heavy to carry. As fire closed in around him, the firefighter was forced to retreat, McKay said.

The fire forced 22 residents out of their homes, but McKay said many would stay with family while the Red Cross was assisting the rest. During a two-hour stop, Gov. Deval Patrick met with emergency planners. Officials assured him that when Red Cross vouchers were exhausted the state shelters would take over. Food stamps were also available for fire victims.

Gary Raso, the landlord, said he was not sure what started the blaze. Fire officials also said it was under investigation. Raso described Taylor as a nice older gentleman who lived alone in the building and did odd jobs there to earn extra money.

"He was a sweetheart,'' said Rhonda MacDonald, a neighbor. "I'd see him in the summer off and on doing the hedges and stuff.''

Rabbi Samuel Barth came from New York, where he was a fire chaplain after the 9/11 attacks, to lead the now-burned-out Ahavat Achim congregation a year ago. He said there is no question the temple will be rebuilt.

"It's not something anyone's even talking about,'' he said. "No one has the slightest shadow of a doubt we will rebuild the temple.''

Copyright 2007 Boston Herald Inc.