Firefighters managed to contain the flames
Photo: Dana Kopel
8 blazes rage in Holon; dozens evacuated
In apparent coordinated attack, unknown arsonists set fire to trash bins at several locations throughout central city, including residential buildings and entrance to nursery school. None injured, but many residents evacuated from their homes. Police searching for perpetrators
A tumultuous night befell the residents of the central city of Holon. The police launched broad searches Wednesday night for unknown attackers who set fire to trash bins at eight locations throughout the city center, including and the entrance to a nursery school and residential buildings on Khenkin, Frug and Homa u'Migdal streets.
Firefighting teams managed to contain the flames.
The first fire took place around 1 am. The arsons set fire to trash bins and shoved them into the entryway to a residential building on Homa u'Migdal Street. Within an hour and a half, they similarly set fire to trash bins at six other sites in the city, pushing them into the shelters and lobbies of buildings.
Children evacuated from their homes (Photo: Dana Kopel)
Smoke and soot covered the buildings, causing damage, and was accompanied by the stench of burning plastic and garbage. One of the suspicions being looked into is the ordeal was a stunt pulled by pyromaniacs.
Firefighting crews from the Holon-Bat Yam fire department, who were dispatched to fight the flames, were surprised to find that as they were putting out one fire, other locations only 100 meters (yards) away were being set ablaze. The firefighters had to evacuate elderly people and babies who were sleeping as the fires broke out.
Pram removed from one of buildings (Photo: Dana Kopel)
Magen David Adom ambulance teams were also dispatched to the sites even though, fortunately, no one was injured.
Spokesperson from the Holon fire department, Lahav Avi Cordoba, noted, "At this stage, all leads are being examined though past experience from similar cases focus suspicions on planned arson, most likely by one individual."
Fire investigators are slated to return to the fire scenes on Thursday morning to continue collecting evidence. Their working assumption is that the same arsonists are responsible for all the fires.
