Burnt IKEA branch
Photo: Eran Melamed
Police rule out arson in IKEA fire
Investigation unit keeps searching for cause of blaze that destroyed flagship store; malfunction, negligence distinct possibilities
Arson did not cause the massive fire
that incinerated the contents of the Netanya IKEA branch this past weekend, police and fire services determined Monday.
The inquiry continues as the special investigation unit attempts to conclude whether the fire was caused by a technical malfunction or by negligence. The unit has been collecting evidence on the scene since Saturday.
"It's a matter of time," Netanya Fire Department Commander Yitzhak Shilan told Ynet on Sunday. "We will get to the bottom of it, and identify for certain what caused the fire to break out."
Concerned for their livelihood, many of the flagship store's employees arrived on the scene to see the damage for themselves. IKEA Israel's CEO Shlomo Gabai, who was visiting the remains as well, assured them that "everything will be alright." He said that he entered the office with the firefighters immediately after the blaze was put out in order to salvage the employee list.
"The workers are still IKEA employees," he said. "We will take care of them."
In the aftermath of the fire, the plan is to rebuild the structure and reopen the store within a year, Gabai told Ynet. Despite the optimism, he had trouble accepting what had occurred.
"I was inside, and it looks even worse," he said. "Everything has turned into metal trash."
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