Israeli Embassy Blaze in Paris Investigated

PARIS — A fire erupted early today at the Israeli Embassy in Paris, slightly injuring five firefighters and causing heavy damage to the building, officials said. But there were no indications that the blaze was caused by arson or an attack.

The fire started about 2:20 a.m. Authorities initially said the blaze had destroyed an unoccupied wing of the embassy that was being renovated. But Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe later said, “It is in fact the embassy” that was burned.

Fire Capt. Laurent Vibert described the building as “badly damaged” on four levels. He said it took about two hours to extinguish the fire.

About 60 people in an adjacent building were evacuated as 150 firefighters battled the blaze.

Dozens of firefighters and fire vehicles were at the scene, as were Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

French President Jacques Chirac telephoned Israeli Ambassador Elie Barnavi and told him that an investigation would be carried out to determine the cause of the fire, officials said.

Vibert said smoke billowed out of the building shortly after the blaze erupted, a possible indication that the fire was electrical in origin. Investigators were at the scene.

“No indication leads us to believe it was an attack,” Vibert said. Barnavi said the fire was probably an accident.

Synagogues and other Jewish institutions have been targeted in France for more than a year, as Middle East violence has escalated.