The heat wave continues: Electricity use breaks more records, fires continue to break out. A cheap fluorescent light has been found to be at fault in a fire that killed two children this week in Tzfat.
For the second time this week, Israeli consumers broke their own record for simultaneous electricity production, when at 2:45 PM Thursday, 9,670 megawatts were in use. The previous record was set on Tuesday, when 9,500 megawatts were used.
Israel Electric Company officials praised the public's attempts to cut back on electricity during high-peak hours. "We thank our customers for their responsible behavior," Director Uri Ben-Nun and Chairman of the Board Moti Friedman said, "along the lines of 'All Israel are guarantors for one another.' We will be gratified if they continue to follow our tips for smart electricity consumption so that we will be able to get through this summer in peace."
Customers have been advised not to use high-usage appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, ovens and the like during the afternoon hours, and to keep thermostats set at 25 degrees Centigrade (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Electric Company says it can currently supply an all-time record of 10,668 megawatts, but warns that if one of its large production stations suffers a default, major problems in electricity supply could result.
Fires have broken out over the past few days of heat wave in many locations. On Tuesday, for instance, firefighters around the country dealt with 22 blazes. A large fire broke out Thursday afternoon in the north between Kibbutz Amiad and Korazim, and planes were called in to help extinguish it. In Herzliya, a fire erupted on the eighth floor of the Marina Tower, and another one in Netanya; no one was hurt.
Investigators checking the fire that killed two young siblings in Tzfat early Monday morning have found that a cheap fluorescent light was to blame. Many families in the area had reported purchasing, from a neighborhood peddler, the lights for only 20 shekels each, and some said they noticed sparks each time they turned them on. After the findings became known, many families dismantled the lights and threw them out. The mother and two other children of the family are still hospitalized following the blaze, with a 6-year-old girl listed in critical condition.
For the second time this week, Israeli consumers broke their own record for simultaneous electricity production, when at 2:45 PM Thursday, 9,670 megawatts were in use. The previous record was set on Tuesday, when 9,500 megawatts were used.
Israel Electric Company officials praised the public's attempts to cut back on electricity during high-peak hours. "We thank our customers for their responsible behavior," Director Uri Ben-Nun and Chairman of the Board Moti Friedman said, "along the lines of 'All Israel are guarantors for one another.' We will be gratified if they continue to follow our tips for smart electricity consumption so that we will be able to get through this summer in peace."
Customers have been advised not to use high-usage appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, ovens and the like during the afternoon hours, and to keep thermostats set at 25 degrees Centigrade (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Electric Company says it can currently supply an all-time record of 10,668 megawatts, but warns that if one of its large production stations suffers a default, major problems in electricity supply could result.
Fires have broken out over the past few days of heat wave in many locations. On Tuesday, for instance, firefighters around the country dealt with 22 blazes. A large fire broke out Thursday afternoon in the north between Kibbutz Amiad and Korazim, and planes were called in to help extinguish it. In Herzliya, a fire erupted on the eighth floor of the Marina Tower, and another one in Netanya; no one was hurt.
Investigators checking the fire that killed two young siblings in Tzfat early Monday morning have found that a cheap fluorescent light was to blame. Many families in the area had reported purchasing, from a neighborhood peddler, the lights for only 20 shekels each, and some said they noticed sparks each time they turned them on. After the findings became known, many families dismantled the lights and threw them out. The mother and two other children of the family are still hospitalized following the blaze, with a 6-year-old girl listed in critical condition.