Dozens of homes have been destroyed in fires around the country, leading to suspicions of a systematic arson campaign behind the many different blazes.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan suggests Wednesday the picture may be more complex.
“Yesterday’s fire at Nataf,” outside Jerusalem, “was apparently caused by a gas stove lit [by campers] in the field, against the express orders of fire officials,” Erdan says.
“On the other hand, in the Lachish region, the fire appears to have started at multiple sites, a fact that usually means arson.”
Erdan emphasized that “investigations are only beginning.”
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