Netanya police, working with municipal inspectors, have arrested more than a dozen teenagers suspected of stealing fire extinguishers from residential buildings and emptying them in public spaces across the city, part of what investigators say is a dangerous social-media challenge circulating on TikTok and other platforms.
The investigation began over the weekend after police received reports of extinguishers being taken from apartment buildings and discharged in parks, parking lots and streets. Detectives from the Netanya station's youth division, working with city inspectors, launched a focused enforcement operation to identify those involved and stop the trend before it spread further.
Three minors aged 14 to 15 were caught in the act and detained for questioning. Follow-up inquiries led investigators to more than ten additional youths suspected of similar acts, all of whom were brought in for questioning accompanied by their parents.
The three caught red-handed were each issued fines of 730 shekels by municipal inspectors. The others were questioned at the station with their parents present, who were briefed on the severity of the acts and their criminal and safety implications.
Police emphasised that this is not a prank. Stealing and emptying fire extinguishers leaves residential buildings without critical firefighting equipment, and in the event of a fire could prevent an initial response and lead to serious injury or loss of life.
In a statement, Israeli police called on parents "to be alert to their children's involvement in dangerous challenges on social media, to speak with them about the serious consequences of such acts, and for building committees to secure fire-safety cabinets and equipment against theft while maintaining immediate access in an emergency."
