EMT Rescues 5 From Burning Building

Late one recent Sunday afternoon, a fire broke out in an improvised residential building in the Bedouin town of Kuseife in central Israel. Two women and 3 children were stuck inside, petrified by fear and unable to get out. 

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Danny Gur, head of the Gush Etzion chapter, was driving down Route 31 when he saw the fire near the roadway. “I saw crazy smoke coming from the town and kids running and screaming, so I went to help,” he says. Gur put on a KN95 mask to limit smoke inhalation and drove toward the scene. When he could drive no farther, he ran to the building, climbed over rubble, and raced into the burning metal structure to check for anyone trapped inside. Gur found 3 children huddling by a bed and 2 women deeper into the burning complex. He grabbed them and brought them safely out of the burning house.

Fire and rescue crews from the Arad and Dimona stations arrived at the scene and identified the cause of the fire as several gas cylinders that exploded and ignited, causing the building to burn. As a result of the fire, the structure was severely damaged and in danger of collapse.

The firefighters began external firefighting operations, using foam against the flames. Afterward they entered the structure and put out the fire still burning inside while searching for anyone still trapped.

“As the firefighters came to scan the area, I got so nervous I may have left people inside,” Gur says. “I was certain I got everyone, but I was still nervous about the possibility there was someone I missed, and people were still in danger. I was shaking from fear the whole time. In the end, thank God, the house was clear, and everyone was OK.”

He added, “As a first responder it is incredibly important to remember one’s own safety, and I tried my best to keep a cool head and act fast. When I saw children hiding under the bed, I knew I had to get them out as quickly as possible.” 

The firefighters determined no other people were in the improvised structure, and thanks to Gur’s quick act of bravery, there were no casualties. To prevent another fire the firefighters evacuated all the gas cylinders to a safe place in an isolated area. 

Raphael Poch is the international media spokesperson for United Hatzalah.