On Yom Kippur: Two infants and their mother rescued from burning building

A fire broke out Friday night, the eve of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonment) in an apartment in the haredi city of Modi'in Illit.

Firefighters evacuated two infants and their mother from the burning apartment, and the incident ended with no injuries.

Initial investigations indicate that the fire broke out due to Shabbat (Sabbath) candles and a memorial candle which were lit in the children's room.

Deputy shift commander firefighter Ozer Oz Baba said that the forces were called to the scene after neighbors noticed heavy smoke and flames exiting the window of the family's third-floor apartment on Maharil Street.

"We found the family's mother and two infants, and we quickly evacuated them for medical treatment," Baba said.

Deputy fireman officer Roni Yaakov, commander of the Matityahu fire station and the head of the investigative team, said that in addition to the danger from the fire itself, it was discovered that the building's fire extinguishing systems were faulty.

Yaakov added that two families who did not listen to the chief firefighter's orders to close themselves in their homes caused great damage to their apartments when they exited and left their doors open.

Following the incident, the Fire and Rescue Service stressed the importance of following safety guidelines when lighting Shabbat and holiday candles. They recommended using only safe and stable candlesticks, made of non-flammable material, placing them on a stable surface, and moving flammable materials away from them. They also reminded the public to follow directions of the firefighters at the scene of the fire, and ensure that the fire extinguishing systems in a building are working properly.