Two men, ages 40 and 60, were killed on Friday night in a house fire in the northern city of Katzrin.
The men were evacuated from the apartment unconscious, suffering burns and after inhaling a large amount of smoke. Magen David Adom (MDA) staff were forced to declare their deaths at the scene.
The men have not yet been identified.
MDA paramedic Kfir Ayish said, "We arrived at the scene and we saw thick smoke and fire exiting a private home. At this stage, we could not come closer, until after we extinguished the flames. Two men, ages 40 and 60, were evacuated out to us. They had no signs of life and unfortunately we had no choice but to declare their deaths."
Israel Police reported that they began investigating the circumstances of the fire, and that upon completion of the work to extinguish the flames, the police officers began gathering evidence from the scene. Forensic investigators were also called to the scene, and both corpses will be examined by the Abu Kabir forensic institute.
In addition, a 52-year-old local resident has been detained for interrogation, since he is believed to have spent time in the apartment at the time the fire broke out. In accordance with the findings of the investigation, it will be decided whether to bring him to court for a extension of his arrest.
The commander of the Northern District Fire and Rescue Services instructed that a special investigative staff be set up to examine the circumstances of the fire.
Initial investigations show that the use of smoking utensils is what sparked the fire. Deputy Fireman Officer Yaniv Hen said, "After conducting an investigation at the scene, we found from the evidence at the site that there is a reasonable suspicion that the fire broke out due to use of smoking utensils on a couch in the apartment. The building includes equipment, in an unreasonable quantity, which contributed to the quick spread of the fire and the release of poisonous gases. The complete findings of the investigation will be passed to the police."