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A pre-dawn fire believed to have started from electric bicycles left one person seriously injured and four others with light injuries in a residential building on Derech Hahagana Street in Tel Aviv–Yafo early Thursday morning, according to Israel Fire and Rescue Services.
Emergency services said multiple calls flooded the Dan District’s 102 hotline shortly before 3:40 a.m., with residents reporting flames and heavy smoke inside a second-floor apartment of a 12-story residential building. Three firefighting teams were immediately dispatched.
Deputy shift commander Reshef Tomer Kashri described chaotic scenes upon arrival.
“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.”
According to Kashri, thick smoke quickly filled the apartment, trapping residents in separate rooms and making escape difficult.
“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 for medical treatment,” he said.
Paramedics from Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical service, treated the victims at the scene before transporting them to nearby hospitals. The seriously injured victim was reportedly suffering from smoke inhalation and possible burns, while the others were treated for minor injuries and respiratory distress.
Images released by fire authorities showed charred remains of several electric bicycles inside the apartment, their frames blackened and twisted by intense heat. Officials said the blaze appeared to have spread rapidly, a common characteristic of lithium-ion battery fires, which can ignite explosively and produce dense, toxic smoke.
Emergency operators at the Dan District’s command center remained in constant phone contact with the trapped occupants, guiding them to shelter in place and seal themselves in rooms until firefighters could reach them safely. Authorities credited these instructions, along with the swift arrival of crews, for preventing more serious casualties.
A fire investigator was dispatched to determine the exact cause of the blaze. While the probe remains ongoing, officials indicated that improperly stored or charging lithium batteries may have played a role.
Fire services used the incident to renew public safety warnings about the growing risks associated with electric bicycles and scooters, which have become increasingly popular in Israel’s urban centers.
“Lithium batteries must never be charged unattended or overnight,” a fire service spokesperson said. “Residents should avoid charging devices near exits and ensure that building entrances and stairwells are never blocked by stored items like bicycles.”
Officials also emphasized the importance of installing smoke detectors, calling them a simple and inexpensive life-saving measure that can provide critical early warning during nighttime fires.
“Smoke detectors save lives,” the spokesperson added. “They give families precious minutes to escape before conditions become deadly.”
The incident is the latest in a series of apartment fires nationwide linked to battery-powered mobility devices, prompting calls for stricter storage guidelines and increased public awareness.
Residents of the building were temporarily evacuated while firefighters ventilated the smoke-filled floors. No structural damage to the building was reported, and most occupants were allowed to return home later in the morning.
Authorities said the investigation findings will be released once completed.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members