Friday, 02 May 2025

“Perhaps The Largest Fire Ever In The Country” – Wildfires Erupt Near Jerusalem

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Wildfires spreading in the Jerusalem area forced road closures and several communities in Israel to evacuate.

Israeli officials declared a national emergency, saying it may be the country’s largest fire ever.

“This is perhaps the largest fire ever in the country,” Jerusalem District Fire Department Commander Shmulik Friedman said, according to CNN.

From The Times of Israel:

Emergency services and police are evacuating the communities of Neve Ilan, Shoresh, Nataf and Yad Hashmona, as wildfires in the Jerusalem area continue to spread eastward. So far, 10 communities have been evacuated as a result of the blazes.

Firefighters are concentrating on the area around Shoresh and sending convoys towards the HaMasrek nature reserve, to extinguish the front of “an active and spreading fire,” says a spokesperson for the Fire and Rescue Service.

Earlier, a Super Hercules heavy transport plane, known in the IDF as Shimson, dropped flame retardant in the vicinity of Mesilat Zion. The aircraft can hold up to 18,000 liters (4,755 gallons) of firefighting materials.

Blazes are still raging in several areas outside Jerusalem, including multiple spots in Latrun, Neve Shalom and Eshtaol Forest. There are also fires spreading in Mevo Horon, along Burma Road towards Beit Meir, Mesilat Zion and near a gas station in Sha’ar Hagai.

Full text:

Massive brushfires are blazing again outside Jerusalem — and it’s gotten so bad, Israel just asked Greece, Croatia, Italy, Bulgaria, and Cyprus to send help putting them out.

The fires erupted (again) Wednesday in the Eshtaol Forest, fueled by a heatwave and wild winds. Roads are shut, trains are canceled, and communities like Neve Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, and Nachshon were evacuated.

Even a military memorial and a monastery had to clear out mid-event.

And the IKEA nearby? Now a fire command center. Yes, IKEA.

So far: 63 firefighting teams, 11 planes, and zero injuries — but it’s not under control yet. And this is the second firestorm in just a week.

Last week’s blaze torched over 10,000 dunams (that’s more than 2,400 football fields).

Most fires in Israel are started by people being careless — and with hotter, drier summers, it’s only getting worse.

Per CNN:

The fire forced authorities to close Route 1, the major road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem on Wednesday – Israel’s Memorial Day.

Videos from social media show people walking along the highway with thick smoke filling the air.

Hours later, emergency workers ran amongst long lines of abandoned cars on the highway, looking for anyone who may still be in their cars, according to a video from United Hatzalah, an emergency response organization.

“We don’t know at this time what caused the fire. We don’t have even a bit of a clue. We are still not dealing with it,” Friedman said. “We are far from control.”

The fire is active on multiple fronts, authorities said, with one area concentrated around the town of Neve Shalom, located about 15 miles west of Jerusalem. In one clip, the flames can be seen next to the road along a packed section of highway.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar held a marathon of talks with other countries to bring in firefighting aircraft, according to his office, particularly nearby countries in Europe. Three aircraft from Italy and Macedonia will arrive “as soon as possible,” the National Security Council said in a statement.

At least ten communities in the area have been evacuated, authorities said.

“We are in a time of national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilized to save lives and bring the fires under control,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz Wednesday.


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