ISRAEL: Israel wildfires update – Israel fires out of control as they’ve burnt over 2,891 acres of forest land, evacuation alerts across nearby towns remain effective as Israel seeks help from European countries to contain the blaze.
Largest Wildfires in Israel’s History
Fire chief says wildfires may be “largest in Israel’s history.” Israel’s Channel 12 said the fires now exceed the scale of the devastating 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire. Assaf Harofeh Hospital confirmed receiving 10 people for treatment, KAN reported.
Earlier, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily said that 12 people were injured in the raging fires.
At least 20 people were injured from smoke inhalation as Israeli authorities evacuated several towns and closed a major highway in central Israel on Wednesday amid wildfires caused by high temperatures, with Tel Aviv requesting international assistance to contain the rapidly spreading flames.
Estimates from the Jewish National Fund indicated that the current wildfires in the Jerusalem hills have destroyed approximately 11,700 dunams (2,891 acres) of forest land, according to the newspaper.
A statement by the Fire and Rescue Service said the communities of Neveh Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, Nachshon and Mesilat Tzion were evacuated.
The evacuations were triggered by raging fires that erupted in several areas due to soaring temperatures and strong winds as 111 firefighting teams and 11 aircraft battled to extinguish the flames.
17 Firefighters Injured
17 firefighters were injured as a result of the firefighting operations, with 2 hospitalized.
On Thursday morning, the police announced the opening of all roads which were previously closed because of the fire, and the residents of the Mevo Horon settlement were allowed to return to their homes after situation assessment by the commander of the Shi’ite District, Chief Moshe Pinchi and recommendations from the Fire, Rescue and Emergency services.
Israeli Air Force Deployed to Assist Firefighting Operations
The Israeli Air Force was deployed to assist the Fire, Rescue and Emergency services in the firefighting operations.
The firefighting teams and fire engines operating in parallel with the “Shimshon” aircraft have operated throughout the night and dropped more than 95 fire-fighting charges in an effort to extinguish the fires.
The fire is burning from dozens of centers.
