Supermarket in Ramat Bet Shemesh without safety permit destroyed by fire caused by irresponsible children

One of the worst things about this latest disaster in Bet Shemesh is that the supermarket itself had no technology for preventing fires to begin with:

Jerusalem District Fire Investigators have completed their investigation into the July 19 fire that broke out at a supermarket in Ramat Beit Shemesh, determining that the fire was caused by children playing with open fire in one of the supermarket’s rooms, while the store was open and operating normally.

The fire broke out in a supermarket located on the entrance floor of an eight-story residential building. Firefighters brought the flames under control and prevented them from spreading to the residential apartments. The incident ended without any injuries.

The investigation findings also revealed that the business operated without a permit from the Israeli Fire and Rescue Service, and that no fire detection and extinguishing equipment was installed. The Fire and Rescue Service stated that such systems could have prevented the spread of the fire and reduced the extent of the damage.

The Fire and Rescue Department emphasized that this is a phenomenon of businesses and buildings that do not meet fire safety requirements and clarified that meeting these requirements is a basic condition for protecting human life and property.

The Fire and Rescue Department also called on parents to talk to their children about the dangers inherent in playing with fire and to keep ignition means away from them. According to them, the combination of playing with fire and the lack of safety measures could end in disaster.

The problem is that the Haredi parents whose children caused this debacle likely didn't even teach them why it's important to look both ways when crossing the street. And then the supermarket itself made things worse by not only leaving the children unattended, they didn't even coordinate with safety officials to make sure the complex was safe and had a permit to operate. This is similar in some ways to the recent case of a daycare center in Jerusalem that operated without proper safety for the children in its care, and resulted in 2 deaths. Over the years, we continue to see this kind of alarming lack of recognition for safety of anybody in Haredi enclaves, and it's miraculous nobody died in this latest disaster.