Opened Only a Month Ago and Burned to the Ground: Suspected Arson at a Well-Known Restaurant in the South
The Tree restaurant in Ashkelon, which opened about a month ago, was completely burned down overnight in a fire that broke out on HaNasi Street. The fire spread to other businesses and caused heavy damage, with no casualties. Police are investigating suspicions of arson, and a fire investigator has joined the investigation.
The Tree restaurant, which opened only about a month ago in the commercial center of the Afridar neighborhood in Ashkelon, was completely burned down overnight (between Monday and Tuesday). The fire, which is suspected to have been set deliberately, broke out around 3:30 a.m. on HaNasi Street in the city and quickly spread to other businesses in the complex, causing heavy damage. There were no casualties in the incident. Firefighters called to the scene identified a large fire in several shops, with the main fire source being the restaurant. Due to the intensity of the flames, additional forces were called from nearby stations, working for hours to prevent the fire from spreading further. Only after prolonged efforts was full control of the fire achieved. Subsequently, the teams performed final extinguishing, dismantled parts of the building's roof, and scanned the complex using thermal cameras to ensure no hidden fire sources remained. The restaurant suffered heavy damage, as did other businesses to which the fire spread. In parallel with the firefighting operations, the police opened an investigation into the incident. Officers from the Ashkelon station and forensic investigators collected evidence at the scene, following suspicions that it was a deliberate arson. A fire investigator from the Fire and Rescue Service also joined the investigation, which is ongoing.