Hebron Arson Arrest: Suspect Held in Vehicle Lot Fire

Israeli police and fire investigators arrested a 66-year-old suspect on Thursday in connection with a massive fire that ravaged a vehicle lot in Hebron over the past weekend. The blaze, which broke out Saturday evening in the Kiryat Arba industrial area, consumed hundreds of vehicles and required approximately 16 hours to extinguish.

The suspect, a Hebron resident, was taken into custody by officers from the Judea and Samaria District following a joint investigation by police and fire authorities. Investigators believe the incident was criminally motivated, stemming from the suspect's dismissal from his workplace. Dozens of firefighting crews battled the flames as gas canisters stored on the premises exploded in succession, complicating containment efforts and causing extensive damage to the site.

Following the fire, detectives from the Hebron police station and intelligence units launched an extensive investigation to identify those responsible. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the moments before the fire erupted while a fire investigator from the Judea and Samaria fire department determined the blaze was deliberately set.

According to the fire investigation findings, the suspect approached the fence surrounding the vehicle lot and ignited vegetation in an open area adjacent to the property. The flames then spread rapidly into the lot itself, engulfing vehicles with significant intensity.

Security camera footage proved crucial to the investigation. The recordings showed a man identified as an employee of a nearby grocery store taking a lighter and several tissues, then walking near the lot in proximity to the fire's points of origin as marked by investigators.

Through detailed investigative work and intelligence gathering by the Hebron station, authorities identified the suspect in recent days. Police detectives located and arrested him Thursday morning.

The man is being questioned on suspicion of involvement in this incident and possibly another fire that occurred earlier this month. According to police, the suspected arson appears to have been motivated by the suspect's termination from his job at the location. Authorities are expected to request an extension of his detention when he appears before a court.

The vehicle lot fire in Kiryat Arba ranks among the most significant blazes in the region in recent months, requiring large numbers of firefighters to work for extended hours to extinguish the flames and prevent further spread.