Firefighter (stock image)
Firefighter (stock image)iStock

A fire broke out in an apartment building in the northern Israeli city of Haifa early Friday morning, leaving a number of residents trapped inside.

The blaze erupted in a second-story apartment in a seven-story building on Arieh Dulzin Street in Haifa before dawn Friday, local fire officials reported.

Five firefighting teams were deployed to the scene to contain the blaze and evacuate residents.

Firefighters said that the heavy smoke emanating from the apartment where the fire broke out had forced a number of residents in units above the second floor to remain in their homes, unable to pass through the thick smoke in the stairwell.

Rescue teams moved through the building, evacuating residents trapped in their apartments. Some residents were extracted from their apartment balconies.

“We got there with the first team and we saw heavy smoke coming out of the second story, while people were out on their balconies calling for help,” said Nadav Furman, leader of a firefighting squad which responded to the blaze.

“We quickly began rescue operations on two fronts: First, to evacuate people from the stairwell, and second, to evacuate people waiting out on their balconies using a crane.”

“Additional teams began work combatting the fire, and clearing out smoke to provide better visibility. With more teams on the scene, we continued searches to ensure no injured people were left behind.”