Fire Destroys 6,000 Tons of Potatoes at Israeli Frozen Chips Factory in Sha'ar HaNegev Industrial Zone

A fire broke out on Sunday afternoon at the Sha'ar HaNegev industrial area in Sderot, severely damaging the Tapogen frozen chips factory. The blaze destroyed approximately 6,000 tons of stored potatoes, a key raw material for Israel's leading frozen chips producer. The fire also caused extensive damage to the factory's electrical, communication, sewage infrastructure, and raw material sorting and supply systems.

The fire started in the Yevulim complex, owned by Shir-Sharon company shareholders Shlomo Yehoshua and Ron Sharon, who hold 26% and 36.3% stakes in Tapogen. Tapogen was sold earlier this year to the Green Lantern fund for about half a billion shekels. Another tenant in the complex, Strauss Group, which stores snacks in a nearby warehouse, confirmed its snack production facility was unaffected and does not expect supply disruptions.

The fire was initially extinguished within two hours by two fire trucks, but reignited the next morning, requiring 25 firefighting teams, police, and emergency responders to contain it by late evening. Tapogen expects to resume operations only after Shabbat. Due to reduced food service activity during the "Roaring Lion" conflict, Tapogen reportedly has a large inventory to prevent product shortages in stores. The fire's cause has not yet been disclosed.