Northern forest fire forces summer camp evacuation
Firefighters aided by planes work to control spreading blaze near Haifa; 3,000 displaced campers are safe
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Illustrative photo of firefighters extinguishing a forest fire, April 25, 2016. (Basel Awidat/Flash90)
Some 3,000 children from the Israeli scouts, or Tzofim, were evacuated from their summer camp Thursday in Nahal Hashofet, near the northern metropolis of Haifa, when a fire began spreading through a nearby forest.
Several teams of firefighters from nearby Afula were dispatched to battle the blaze. Planes were also deployed to fight the fire from the air.
The blaze was centered in the nearby Hazorea forest, adjacent to the town of Yokne’am.
Eli Ben-Yosef, head of the scouts in Israel, told Ynet that all campers were safe, explaining that the evacuation was a precaution.
The fire is not yet under control, authorities say, but there are no reports of injuries or damage beyond the forest itself.
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