A fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning in a shul in Ramat Gan, causing heavy damage to the sefarim inside the building.

The fire was caused by electric bikes that were being charged inside the shul.

Ramat Gan firefighters that rushed to the scene removed the bikes from the shul and extinguished the flames. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident but the shul was badly damaged and there was extensive damage to hundreds of sefarim.

Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services reiterate that the following rules should be adhered to when charging electric bike batteries:

• Batteries should not be charged without supervision.
• Batteries must be certified as safe according to Israel’s standards.
• Only the charger that was supplied with the battery should be used. It is not safe to use a different charger.
• Batteries should be charged in a well-ventilated space.
• The battery should not be charged near an exit door or hallway.
• Batteries should not be charged in a bedroom where people are sleeping.
• It is recommended to install a smoke detector!

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)