"Children Suffer Burns in Pre-Pesach Ceremony

Four children in Brooklyn suffered serious burns last week during biur chometz, the ceremony of burning chometz the day before Passover. Three of the accidents occurred in Boro Park and a forth in Williamsburg"

The Jewish Press, 4/13/2007

An emergency room in Israel reports an upward trend in burn patients during the Chanukah, Purim and Passover season.

Hemmo-Lotem, M., Jinich-Aronowitz, C., Endy-Findling, L. et al. (2005) Child Injury in Israel: Emergency Room Visits To A Childrens’ Medical Center.  Scientific World Journal. 253-263.

The largest burn center in the country reports that 30-40% of patients come from observant Jewish families.

Schwartz, S. (1995) Fire! Jewish Observance and Burn Prevention.  Retrieved from www.tzemachdovid.org on May 6, 2005.

“...And her 5-month old daughter, ___________, had died just 12 hours earlier in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in a fire started by candles for the religious holiday.  Members of the community do not use electricity on the holiday of Shavuot...”

The Times Herald-Record, 6/10/2006

“Crate and Barrel is recalling 800 Hanukkah menorahs because they can catch fire.

There has been one report of a menorah catching fire...”

Consumer Reports, 12/2003

“Five are burned in pre-Passover fire ritual in Brooklyn.

...the annual ritual, which involves burning leavened bread and other food not permitted during the Passover holiday.

The New York Times, 4/6/2004

“Passover oven blamed in yeshiva fire; 100 people resided in 2-story building that was destroyed..."

The Journal News, 4/26/2005

“The Fire Department has concluded that an apartment blaze that killed three boys over the Passover holiday was caused by a ‘prolonged heat’ from a gas stove flame and that aluminum foil covering the cabinets and counter served to fuel the fire.

...Investigators found a dead battery in the apartment’s smoke detector.”

Associated Press, 4/29/2005

“...Fire ripped through a main building at a religious summer camp...the couple got their children.  They and ____________ managed to escape to a second-story roof on the 3 1/2 story building.  But there was no way to get down, and they were trapped as the building burned beneath them.”

Times Herald-Record, 6/22/2006

“One of the most devastating fires in recent Sullivan County history took down the main building of the Villa Roma...the trouble began Tuesday night after an orthodox Jewish group had completed its cleansing process of the kitchen for the upcoming Passover holiday...The ovens in the bakery were heated up to clean off any remaining residue.  Around 10 p.m. the work was completed and the Rabbi left.  About 10-15 minutes later, the fire alarm went off.”

Sullivan County Democrat, 5/14/2006

“Many readers are going to be participating in Lag B’omer celebrations which have bonfires.  Please watch your children AND yourselves.  Yeshivaworld has just received word from our contact in Hatzolah Israel about a 21 year old Yeshiva Bochur in Bnei Brak who received 3rd degree burns to 70% OF HIS BODY.  He is in SERIOUS condition.

Theyeshivaworld.com, 5/15/2006