A fire which broke out Sunday in Beitar Illit has been determined to be the result of children playing with a hot plate, Kikar Hashabbat reported.
Firefighters from the Yehuda regional fire station were called to the scene, as were volunteers.
Fireman officer Avi Ben Sa'adon, who lead the teams, said: "Upon receiving notice of the fire, teams from the Beitar Illit station rushed to the scene. When they arrived, the teams found thick smoke enveloping the building. The firefighters worked to reach the source of the flames, which was on level 0 of the building."
"At the same time, I ordered those residing in the upper levels to close themselves in their homes due to the thick smoke. Firefighters who entered the apartment extinguished the fire, which was in the parents' bedroom. At the same time, they acted to release the heat and the smoke."
According to the apartment owner, one of the children plugged in the hot plate, which was on a mattress. The mother unplugged the hot plate and left the room. When she came back, she couldn't enter the room because of the fire that was blazing, and she called in the firefighters.
"Smoke detectors save lives," he emphasized. "Smoke detectors sound the alert when the fire breaks out, and allow escape from the building, thereby saving our lives and the lives of those dear to us."