Car bursts into flames, sparking forest fire on Jerusalem’s outskirts
Firefighters gain control over blaze, which spread due to extreme heat and strong winds, says official; Fire and Rescue Service probing cause of auto fire
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleA car fire broke out on a highway west of Jerusalem Tuesday afternoon, causing flames to spread to a nearby forest amid an intense week-long heat wave sweeping the country.
Firefighters wrangled control over the blazes at around 5 p.m. that evening, but continued in their efforts to fully extinguish the fire.
At around noon, the Fire and Rescue Service received a report from the car owner, who said that her vehicle had suddenly caught fire by itself on Route 44.
Police closed off a section of the highway as firefighters worked to combat the blazes that quickly jumped to Eshtaol Forest, whose woodlands were already ravaged in wildfires earlier this year.
“Firefighting crews from the Beit Shemesh region were dispatched to the scene, but before they arrived, the flames had already spread from the side of the road to the nearby forest area,” said the Fire and Rescue Service in a statement.
By late afternoon, over 20 firefighting crews were operating at the scene. Crews from neighboring districts were called up to bulk up Jerusalem District forces.
Four firefighting planes were initially deployed to assist the crews on the ground, but wrapped up their work at around 2:30 p.m., said a fire service official.
The official told The Times of Israel that the agency was still probing what sparked the sudden car fire, which left the vehicle charred on the side of the road.
“There wasn’t anything external that caused [the fire]; it may have been due to some sort of faulty electrical circuit within the vehicle, or something related to the heat,” said the Jerusalem District official.
The fire service statement noted that extreme heat coupled with stronger-than-usual winds helped to accelerate the fire’s spread.
This week has seen a massive heatwave affecting all parts of the country, with temperatures in the Jerusalem region reaching 39°C (102.2°F) today. Tomorrow and Thursday are expected to be even warmer, with a high of 41°C (105.8°F).
Border Police officers operated in the area of the fire to direct traffic and ensure public safety, law enforcement said. As of late afternoon Tuesday, police had not begun evacuating residents of nearby communities.
The Times of Israel Community.