The major wildfire that broke out early Wednesday in the Judean Foothills and has been spreading rapidly throughout the day has prompted authorities to evacuate multiple nearby communities for safety.
At present, five main areas are actively burning: Highway 3, which has been shut down, as well as Canada Park, Neve Shalom, Mesilat Zion, and Mitzpe Harel. The situation has become critical enough to demand a full-scale deployment of firefighting resources.
Given the expanding scope of the blaze and its intensity—part of a pattern of recent fires in the region—fire officials called for a countrywide mobilization of ground firefighting units. On-site operations involve 119 firefighting teams, assisted by 10 planes and a helicopter. A central coordination hub was set up at the Eshtaol IKEA branch, with an additional response center near Latrun.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff has directed the Home Front Command, the Air Force, and all relevant IDF divisions to offer their complete backing to the Fire and Rescue Services and police forces tackling the disaster.
Search and rescue units from the IDF, alongside emergency responders from the Jerusalem and Central Districts, have joined the mission. Ground and air teams—including those providing real-time aerial surveillance—have worked together to suppress flames and assist in evacuations across the Jerusalem Hills.
For the first time during this crisis, the IDF deployed its “Shimshon” aircraft on Wednesday night. The plane, retrofitted to help in emergencies, released flame-retardant chemicals over the fire zone.
In parallel with local efforts, Israel has turned to the international community for backup. Several nations are expected to send firefighting aircraft, which are likely to land by Thursday morning due to current flight limitations.
Meanwhile, authorities have taken a suspect into custody in connection with the fire’s ignition. He is now undergoing interrogation.
Highway 1 has also been blocked off in both directions between Sha’ar HaGai and the Anava Interchange. Flames engulfed four vehicles along the route. Emergency responders rescued nine people from the burning cars, while others fled the smoke-filled area. A total of twelve individuals were treated for light injuries caused by smoke inhalation.
Traffic has been stopped on Highway 3 in the direction of Nachshon, and train service between Yerushalayim and Ben Gurion Airport has been suspended.
Evacuations have been ordered for the following communities: Shoresh, Neve Ilan, Yad HaShmona, Nataf, Neve Shalom, Beka’ot, Mitzpe Harel, Mesilat Zion, Tarum, Ta’oz, Eshtaol, Beit Meir, Nachshon, Canada Park, and the Latrun vicinity. In Binyamin, Mevo Horon residents were also told to evacuate as a precaution.
Nature and Parks Authority officials began clearing hikers from areas at risk. Those in the affected regions, including the Harei Yehuda National Park, were instructed to leave immediately. The Khan Sha’ar HaGai heritage site was closed to the public.
Jerusalem District Fire Commander Shmulik Friedman said, “The fire is extremely intense, one of the largest in Israel in recent years, perhaps ever. We are positioning at key points to contain the fire, but this is a complex event, and we are preparing defensively.” He also declared that this could potentially be “the largest fire in Israel’s history.”

{Matzav.com}