Homes evacuated in Beit Shemesh, northern village as brushfires advance

Firefighters are battling multiple brushfires threatening to force evacuations from towns throughout the country amid unseasonably warm and dry weather.

Several of the fires are near the Beit Shemesh area, including a wild grove near the edge of town that has led authorities to evacuate the first line of homes facing the fire.

At least ten firetrucks are deployed to battle the blaze.

In the north, 15 families are evacuated from Mashhad near Nazareth as firefighters battle a brushfire creeping toward the village. Five trucks and a firefighting plane are battling that blaze.

A firefighter battles a brushfire raging along Route 375 west of Jerusalem. (Channel 13 screen capture/Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue Services)

A fire near Kafr Kana has been brought under control, authorities say.

Another forest fire is raging along Route 375 in the hills west of Jerusalem. Firefighting planes are being deployed to help stem its advance.

Illustrative: A firefighting plane tries to extinguish a brushfire near Petah Tikva, on May 1, 2018. (Roy Alima/Flash90)