Children playing with fire caused blaze that killed toddler, assessment finds

Firefighters say unclear exactly what kids were using that set alight apartment in Safed, urge installation of smoke detectors

By ToI Staff 29 May 2019, 12:22 pm

Edit

Fire fighters at the scene of a fire in an apartment in the northern city of Safed, on May 25, 2019. (Basel Awidat/Flash90)

The blaze that gutted an an apartment in the northern city of Safed over the weekend, killing an infant boy, was apparently caused by children playing with fire, the Israel Fire and Rescue Service announced Wednesday.

The service said it was not immediately clear what the children were playing with, but it seemed likely it was a device their mother used to light Shabbat candles.

It also noted that there was was not a single smoke detector in the entire eight-story building where the fire burned, and urged the public to buy the potentially life-saving devices.

Three-year-old Elad Prizat was trapped in the burning apartment Saturday as the flames quickly spread and firefighters were forced to cut away a window in order to extract him.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but succumbed to his wounds. Prizat’s four-year-old sibling suffered burns and eight adults were treated for smoke inhalation.

Prizat’s parents, who were both hospitalized, were questioned by investigators and the mother was able to give accurate information about the location of all flammable devices and materials in the home, the Ynet news site reported.