Fire crews on Sunday continued battling a wildfire that began the day before in the northern West Bank, with emergency services saying the fire destroyed 13 homes and damaged dozens more in the Havat Gilad settlement, and that intensive efforts were still underway to limit the blaze from spreading.

According to the Fire and Rescue service, two firefighters were injured during the firefighting efforts, and were evacuated for medical treatment in moderate and light condition, respectively.

Investigators said that an initial probe indicated that the wildfire was sparked by an unextinguished cigarette butt flicked to the side of a road. Law enforcement was working to track down the vehicle from which it was thrown.

According to Army Radio correspondent Doron Kadosh, security officials were able to identify a single cigarette as the cause of the fire, adding that no other flammable materials, such as fuels or rags, were found at the scene, indicating that arson was not at play.

Kadosh added that security forces said they were “narrowing in” on the person suspected of throwing the cigarette, who they believe to be Palestinian, largely based on the fact that it took place on a Saturday afternoon, during Shabbat, and that Israelis rarely drive on that road during the Jewish day of rest.

Still, the assessment is that the blaze was not intentionally sparked, the report said, adding that the Shin Bet domestic security agency, which had initially joined the investigation, had already withdrawn from the........

© The Times of Israel