Man dies of smoke inhalation after Jerusalem house fire

A 50-year-old man died of smoke inhalation on Monday afternoon, after he was pulled out of a house fire in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona.

Firefighters were the first to arrive at the scene and evacuate the man from the four-story building, the fire and rescue service said.

They performed CPR and then handed him over to Magen David Adom paramedics while they put out the flames.

MDA gave the man preliminary treatment and then took him to the city’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where he was declared dead.

No other injuries were reported.

The apartment was on the first floor of the building on the corner of Efrata and Ein Gedi streets. Firefighters scoured the building for other trapped victims of the fire, but no one else was found. They also took measures to ensure the fire didn’t spread to the rest of the building.

Investigators from the fire and rescue service were looking into the cause of the fire with the help of a canine unit. Early reports said it may have been caused by a cigarette or lighter.