As Shabbat begins: Fire in apartment in Beitar Illit, building residents evacuated • Watch

December 31, 2022   

Last night (Friday), just minutes after the start of Shabbat, firefighters and volunteers from the Yehuda Regional Station worked on a fire that broke out in the Haredi city of Beitar Illit. The residents of the building, at 8 Yishmach Yisrael Street, were evacuated by firefighters from the building, due to the heavy smoke rising from the apartment. Chief Kobi Erez, shift commander: "A report was received of a fire in an apartment in Beitar Illit. Firefighters and volunteers from the Beitar Illit unit were rushed to the scene. Upon arrival at the scene, we detected heavy smoke coming from one of the upper floors of the building. The ladder was deployed to provide the best response, in parallel with the firefighters' actions to evacuate the residents who were in the stairwell on their way to Shabbat prayers. "The firefighters tried to make contact with the fire, and searched for those trapped. They then worked to release the heavy smoke that had accumulated in the building." Lieutenant Commander Tamir Erez, commander of the Yehuda Regional Station: "The incident could have ended differently. The fire broke out while the building's residents were at home, and some were already on their way to synagogues. "The building's residents showed great resourcefulness, obeying the firefighters' instructions. Those who were at home locked themselves in their apartments, and those who were outside waited patiently until the firefighters finished their work. Also worthy of note is the Betar Elite volunteer unit, these are city residents who provide life-saving first aid not for the sake of receiving a reward.".