Israeli police arrested two people Saturday, on suspicion of causing the country's worst-ever bushfire through negligence, dpa reported.
Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said the two were arrested Saturday afternoon.
Israel Radio reported that the two were 16 years old.
Earlier Rosenfeld had said initial investigations revealed that the fire, which broke out in northern Israel shortly before noon Thursday, had likely not been caused by arson, as suspected at one stage.
He said the initial evaluation was based on an analysis of the area identified as being the fire's source.
By Saturday afternoon, the fire, which was raging on the Carmel hill, south-east of the northern city of Haifa, had claimed 41 lives, destroyed 40 kilometres of land and consumed over million trees.
Some 17,000 people, from villages threatened by the fire were forced to flee their homes, although on Saturday afternoon police allowed residents of five villages to return.
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