Firefighters battle massive blaze near Beit Shemesh
Crews try to contain wildfire as residents of nearby communities told to evacuate; teams also combat flames in the Galilee
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Large numbers of firefighters and volunteers battled a massive brush fire near the city of Beit Shemesh on Friday evening, as residents of nearby communities were told to evacuate.
At least 40 teams of firefighters and a dozen planes were deployed to tackle the blaze, Israeli website Ynet reported, while sections of Route 44, which runs from Tel Aviv to Esthaol were closed to traffic in both directions.
Visitors to the area and a Bedouin encampment were evacuated, Channel 2 reported, and inhabitants of the towns of Eshtaol, Tarum, Ta’oz and Mesilat Zion, all north of Beit Shemesh, were advised to leave their homes.
The fire was moving rapidly due to strong winds and was sporadically changing direction, Ynet said. Images from the scene of the blaze showed firefighters spraying water onto the flames while huge plumes of smoke billowed into the air.
In the Lower Galilee, 12 teams of firefighters and three planes were also battling a brush fire that started Friday afternoon. There was no danger to local homes, Army Radio said.
Brush fires are common in Israel during the intense summer heat. On Sunday, a wildfire claimed 500 dunams (123 acres) of forest and brush around the northern town of Kiryat Shmona, before firefighters brought it under control. No one was hurt in the blaze.
The Times of Israel Community.