Authorities believe two massive wildfires were sparked by arson according to the results of an initial investigation.
The suspicious fires broke out near Gita in northern Israel and Zeitan in central Israel, near Ben Gurion International Airport. Some residents of both communities were evacuated during the day, and six homes in Gita were damaged by flames.
Fire and Rescue Services say over 200 fires were ignited in open areas of Israel on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of families. The largest fires are under control and no longer pose a danger.
“In some of the areas, evidence of arson was found,” it says in a statement.
Authorities call on the public to adhere to orders banning fires in outdoor areas.
Firefighting planes carried out around 100 sorties and disbursed some 34,500 liters of material to extinguish the blazes on Saturday.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire near Yarka, November 13, 2021. (Fire and Rescue Services)
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
