Firefighters battle fresh blazes near Jerusalem, Haifa
Brushfires break out near Modiin and spread from Neve Ilan, as others brought under control; high winds and dry conditions expected to continue to feed rash of fires around country
High winds and dry conditions combined to feed a rash of wildfires around Israel for a third straight day Thursday morning, with fires breaking out near the central city of Modiin, in the forested hills surrounding Jerusalem and near Haifa.
Fires broke out near the Shilat Junction at the northern entrance to Modiin, with police briefly shutting Route 443, one of two main highways connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, creating a major traffic headache for morning commuters. Firefighters managed to gain control of the fire by mid-morning.
Firefighters also battled to control blazes sweeping from the community of Neve Ilan toward Route 1, the other major artery into the capital, at the Sha’ar Hagai junction.
Eight engines and two planes were on hand to slow the advance of fires toward Modiin. Residents from several streets in the city were told to stay indoors.
A fire near the Israeli settlement of Talmon in the West Bank began to spread toward homes there, with police ordering some people to evacuate, hours after officials said the blaze was under control overnight.
A brushfire also broke out near Haifa in northern Israel, with at least two people needing treatment after suffering from smoke inhalation.
Firefighters have been struggling to keep pace with a spate of brushfires that have popped up around the country, several of which have threatened homes. High winds and dry conditions are expected to make Thursday combustible as well.
The fears of new wildfires led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to seek help from foreign countries, including Greece, Croatia and Cyprus, who will send firefighting aircraft.
In all there have been some 220 fires throughout the country in the past two days, beginning with a blaze near Neve Shalom outside Jerusalem that forced the community to evacuate in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday.
On Wednesday night, firefighters finally brought under control wildfires in the northern communities of Zichron Yaakov and Gilon, allowing some evacuated residents to return to their homes.
[mappress mapid=”5993″]
Police also planned to bolster security forces’ presence in the area, as suspicions grew that arson might be the cause of some of the fires. Other fires have been blamed on negligence.
Firefighters in Zichron Yaakov — who battled the blaze for 29 hours — were told to stand down, apart from eight teams who remained in the area in the event of further outbreaks.
Some 20 homes were damaged by the fire and several people needed to be treated for smoke inhalation.
People whose homes were damaged were not permitted to return.
In the Galilee town of Gilon, near Karmiel, some residents were also allowed to return to their homes, several hours after some 80 residences were evacuated over the approaching forest fire.
No injuries were reported but three homes were damaged by the fire, Galilee police said. Electricity, which had been cut to the village, was restored Wednesday night.
A spokesperson for the emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said that paramedics treated a total of 21 people across the country for smoke inhalation Wednesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an area near Zichron Yaakov hit by fire on Wednesday to offer his support to the firefighting teams there. He said it appeared that some of the fires were started deliberately.
“There is some evidence of arson,” Netanyahu said at a Fire and Rescue Service command center, where he was briefed on ongoing efforts to quell the blazes by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich.
“Our first goal is saving lives and I ask residents to do exactly what the authorities ask of them. Our second goal is putting out the fires,” Netanyahu told reporters. He gave no further details on the alleged arson.
As a result of the suspicions, Erdan and Alsheich announced that they will significantly increase police patrols in certain areas, particularly open sites close to residential property. The goal is both to prevent any further arson and spot any fires early on, so they can be dealt with quickly.
