Sources at a factory in Sderot told ynet that the fire broke out Sunday afternoon and was probably not extinguished properly, indicating the blaze may have reignited or continued burning.
Sderot, Monday — The fire that has been burning in the Sderot industrial zone since Monday morning may have originated Sunday afternoon and was not properly extinguished at the time, according to sources at the factory cited by ynet. The disclosure suggests that the current blaze could be a reignition or a continuation of an earlier fire that was not fully put out.
The Zioneer has been tracking the fire since it was first reported at 10:31 Jerusalem time. At that time, residents were told to remain indoors due to a large fire at the Strauss and Tapugen factories, with authorities initially concerned about a possible leak of hazardous materials. By 10:31, police had blocked roads near the scene, and firefighting aircraft were deployed. The hazardous materials concern was later ruled out, as i24NEWS reported at 11:09. However, the fire remained not under control, leading to the temporary suspension of train service to Sderot, as reported at 10:31.
The Zioneer reported earlier Monday that the fire was still not under control and that hazardous materials were not a factor. The new report from factory sources provides a possible explanation for the prolonged fire: that it was never fully extinguished after first breaking out on Sunday.
What remains unclear is the cause of the initial fire and whether the current extinguishing efforts will succeed. The source's account has not been independently confirmed by authorities.
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