Jerusalem, Israel - Nov. 24, 2020 - United Hatzalah medical personnel were dispatched to an apartment building on Sorotzkin Street in the Romema neighborhood of Jerusalem early on Tuesday morning in response to a large structure fire that took place in a residential building. The first responders who arrived treated nearly 30 people who were injured as a result of the blaze.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Nachum Eisenbach who was the first medical responder to arrive at the scene relayed: "When I arrived at the scene the fire was already spreading to the building where dozens of residents were waiting to be rescued by firefighters as the blaze had spread to the parking area at the bottom of the building and prevented the residents from exiting. After firefighters evacuated the residents, together with other EMS personnel who arrived I provided oxygen to several of them who suffered from smoke inhalation."


United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Chanoch Re'em relayed: "Due to the nature of the incident we knocked on doors of residents in surrounding buildings and instructed them to evacuate due to the danger posed to them by the fire. With the help of many first responders who arrived at the scene we treated the injured, some of who suffered contusions and abrasions due to jumping from windows in the building that was on fire in an attempt to flee the blaze, and we provided oxygen to many others who suffered from smoke inhalation."


United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Ben Zion Shpitzer added: "I treated a man in his 30s who was injured after he jumped from his own balcony due to the thick smoke that was collecting in his house. He was taken to the hospital in moderate condition. The fire spread quickly through the building. It burned the storage units as well as vehicles that were parked in the parking lot. We were working alongside the firefighters who were evacuating people from the building and brought them to us for initial treatment before they were able to be transported to the hospital. Many of those who sustained injuries were infants and children who also suffered from smoke inhalation."