Israeli Air Force pilots have joined firefighting teams working to contain several conflagrations that have consumed about 5,000 acres of forest and terrain, mostly near Yerushalayim.
These efforts and weather conditions helped stabilize the situation, but the Israel Fire & Rescue Authority said in a statement on Thursday morning that its 155 teams were still working to contain the fires, in which no one was killed but which resulted in the hospitalization of 12 civilians and 17 firefighters. Thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes in the Judean Foothills.
On Wednesday night, the IAF deployed its big guns in the fight against the fires: its two Samson airplanes, the Israeli name for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, which has only recently been added to Israel’s firefighting arsenal.
Samsons converted into fire extinguishing aircraft have been conducting dozens of sorties since Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces said, dumping up to 3,960 gallons of water or fire retardant per flight. The Foreign Ministry has reached out for assistance to nearby countries, including Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria, it said in a statement.
On the ground, firefighters battled flames across the country, but on Thursday morning, they still had not “gained control of the fires,” the Fire and Rescue Authority’s statement said. Three roads that had been closed on Wednesday—Roads 1, 3 and 38—were reopened on Thursday, police said.
Canada Park near Beit Shemesh has been hardest hit, according to a statement by KKL-JNF, a eco-Zionist organization dedicated to the sustainable development of Israel, and especially its forest management programs.
Several countries have already pledged to send help. Spain will dispatch two firefighting planes, while France, Romania, Croatia, and Italy have also confirmed they will send aircraft. Ukraine has now joined the list as well, said the Foreign Ministry statement.
Alongside the Samsons and another especially-fitted firefighting aircraft, Israel’s firefighting Elad squadron has 14 Air Tractor AT-802F firefighting aircraft, five Airbus H-125 helicopters, and two Airbus Helicopters H-145 helicopters. In the first hours of the fire that began on Wednesday at around noon, many of these aircraft were not able to operate due to strong winds.
Shin Bet (Israel’s Security Agency) is investigating the fires, which started on Israel’s Memorial Day, hours before its Independence Day celebrations. Incitement calling on Palestinians to set fires circulated on social media ahead of the holiday, which coincided with dry and windy weather.
At least three people have been arrested in connection with the fires, including a man near Modi’in. Police arrested the man after reports that he was trying to set fire to some shrubbery. The man is in his 50s and lives in Umm Tuba, an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem, Ynet reported.
Two other suspects had been arrested on Wednesday, Channel 12 reported.
Ynet quoted Shmulik Friedman, commander of the Yerushalayim District Fire Department, as saying on Wednesday: “We have no idea what caused the fire, as of now we don’t know what the source is.”
The most severe blaze ignited in the Eshtaol Forest near Mesilat Zion and Neve Shalom, prompting immediate evacuations. Flames spread rapidly through the parched terrain, intensified by dry weather and gusty conditions.
“This wave of fires is a threat to human life, to communities and to Jerusalem. It’s not just the fire on the ground; this is a national threat,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a statement Wednesday night. “I held a meeting at the fire management center and instructed the teams to use all the tools at our disposal,” he added.
On Wednesday, Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev announced the cancellation of the annual torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl in Yerushalayim, citing public safety concerns. “I’ve just concluded a situational assessment with emergency officials,” said Regev. “There is a real danger to human life. I will not take any risks.”
Other major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, also announced the cancellation of celebrations requiring the presence of firefighters.
Authorities declared a “Red Torch” emergency level, the highest fire-alert classification, activating national firefighting reserves, aerial reinforcements and logistical support. JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}