As temperatures soar, wildfires break out across Israel
Firefighting teams battle blazes from the Lebanese border down to the Negev Desert; hundreds of acres consumed
Wildfires raged across northern Israel Saturday as temperatures soared into the upper 90s and lower 100s Fahrenheit.
A massive dry heatwave engulfed the country, sending temperatures to unseasonal highs and baking the parched earth dry and prone to brush fires.
A large fire ignited near a village outside Afula in the Galilee. Seventeen fire crews from across the country and six planes worked to bring the inferno under control.
A fire raged in the Nahal Dan nature reserve in the upper Galilee, near the border with Lebanon, prompting rescue teams to evacuate hikers. Police closed the road leading to the park, Ynet reported.
שריפות בשרב: בגליל העליון, באזורים אחרים בצפון, בלכיש וליד רהט. מטיילים פונו משמורת נחל דן https://t.co/OdkFpYDGi9 pic.twitter.com/SQNslqSu2O
— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) June 4, 2016
Another fire broke out near Kibbutz Beit Keshet in the lower Galilee, east of Nazareth. Over 10 firefighting teams were joined by four aircraft, police and Border Police forces to battle the blaze. The fire consumed nearly 250 acres of land. No injuries were reported, according to Army Radio.
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A bus caught fire on Route 2 due to a malfunction, the country’s main north-south thoroughfare, leading to the temporary closure of the road in both directions. No one was hurt and teams were working to put out the blaze.
It was not immediately clear whether the bus fire was caused by the intense heat.
Two other fires broke out near an army base outside Kiryat Gat, in southern Israel, Walla news reported. There was no immediate risk to homes, but a nearby highway was closed to traffic while firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
השרב עושה את שלו: שריפות רבות ברחבי הארץ בגלל עומס החום הכבד
Posted by חדשות 13 on Saturday, June 4, 2016
A major fire broke out Friday in a minefield near the West Bank settlement of Karnei Shomron, causing several mines to explode and forcing the evacuation of residents.
The Times of Israel Community.