Sudanese asylum seeker rescues neighbor from Tel Aviv apartment fire

Faiz Varoispa, 32, ran into the building to save Fanny Lenz, 59, whose home went up in flames after she left Shabbat candles burning unattended

By ToI Staff 15 October 2018, 11:17 am

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Faiz Varoispa, an asylum seeker from Sudan who ran into a burning south Tel Aviv building to rescue his neighbor on October 12, 2018 (Screenshot via Ynet)

Faiz Varoispa, a 32-year-old asylum seeker from Sudan, rescued 59-year-old Fanny Lenz when her apartment caught fire in Tel Aviv on Friday evening.

“When I realized that someone needed my help, I immediately took action and ran there, and God gave me the strength to help,” he told the Ynet news site.

Lenz said that she lit candles before the start of Shabbat, before going up on to the roof of the building to rest on a sofa, where she fell asleep.

“A neighbor ran up to me and told me to come down because there was a fire in one of the apartments in the building. I looked down and saw it was my apartment and rushed downstairs,” she told the news site from her bed in Ichilov Hospital. “I went inside to turn on the light to see what was happening and to look for my dog when Faiz arrived and pulled me out.”

Fanny Lenz, who was saved by her Sudanese asylum seeker neighbor from a south Tel Aviv apartment fire on October 12, 2018 (Screenshot via Ynet)

Varoispa and Lenz live in a building in the south of the city that is home to dozens of asylum seekers and foreign workers.

“I saw two Filipina neighbors running away from our building and they shouted that there was a fire,” Varoispa recalled. “I looked at the fire and said to myself that maybe somebody needs help. People were running out and I ran up and saw the flames. The door to the apartment was slightly ajar and I could see Fanny inside,” he said.

“Inside, everything was on fire and everything was burnt,” added Varoispa, who was lightly injured during the rescue. “I immediately pulled her out, took her downstairs, and called the police to get the fire department to come.”

When asked about his decision to run into the burning building, Varoispa played down his act of bravery.

“I am glad I came at the right time and I thank God for making me think that maybe someone needed help. God gave me the strength to go upstairs because it is very important to help every person,” he said.