The roof of IKEA's Israeli flagship store in Netanya collapsed Saturday morning after a massive fire broke out at the site overnight, Ynet reported.
There were no reports of injury, but the building and merchandise were completely destroyed.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze after a few hours.
'No threats.' IKEA store up in flames (Photo: Raanan Ben-Zur)
It is estimated that the fire broke out on the roof, which was covered with tar, and then spread to the rest of the store.
Police said there were no people in the building when the fire erupted. The cause for the flare-up remains unclear at this point.
Firefighters initially fought the blaze from within the building, but they were quickly instructed to evacuate it for fear the roof would collapse.
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch arrived at the scene with the international chain's Israeli director Avi Gabai and other officials to estimate the damage. "This is a very serious fire. We do not know if it was a criminal act, and we are not aware of any attempts by criminal elements to extort IKEA. Everything will be checked," the minister said.
IKEA said it had not received any threats.
Gabai said the fire caused millions of dollars in damage. "It's a terrible feeling to see the building go up in flames. Luckily no one was hurt; that's the most important thing."
First published: 11:38, 02.05.11