One person was seriously injured and four others sustained light injuries after a fire broke out in a residential building on Derech Hahagana Street in Tel Aviv–Yafo early Thursday morning, Israel Fire and Rescue Services’ Dan District said.
Shortly before 3:40 a.m., multiple emergency calls were received at the district’s 102 hotline reporting flames inside an apartment. Three firefighting teams were dispatched to the scene.
Deputy shift commander Reshef Tomer Kashri said crews encountered heavy smoke coming from a second-floor unit in a 12-story building.
“Upon arrival, we noticed black smoke coming from the second floor of a 12-story building,” Kashri said.
“We forced open the entrance door and saw electric bicycles completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters began conducting searches and extinguishing the source of the fire. The apartment’s residents were trapped in separate rooms. We rescued five residents. One was in serious condition and the others were lightly injured. They were transferred to MDA for treatment.”
Fire officials reiterate safety guidance
Emergency operators from the Dan District’s 102 center remained in continuous contact with those trapped inside the apartment, instructing them to stay sheltered in place throughout the incident until firefighters reached them.
A fire investigator was called to the scene to examine the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
Fire officials used the incident to reiterate safety guidance, urging the public to install smoke detectors, which they described as inexpensive, easy to install, and life-saving by providing early warning that allows residents to escape in time.
They also warned against charging lithium batteries unattended and stressed that building entrances must never be blocked, particularly when storing items such as electric bicycles.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.