Wildfires are raging in the Jerusalem Hills and Beit Shemesh areas and are continuing to spread due to the dry and hot weather conditions and powerful winds. As a fire raged on Highway 1, drivers began to flee their cars to safety.
YWN
Wildfires are raging on Wednesday afternoon in the Jerusalem Hills and Beit Shemesh areas and are continuing to spread due to the powerful winds. A new fire broke out in Elad, and additional fires have begun spreading to southern Israel.
Fire chief Eyal Caspi said that the fires are expected to continue for at least another day.
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has declared the fire a national emergency and has asked IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to deploy IDF forces to help fight the fire and save lives.
Following a situational assessment, Israel issued an urgent request for international assistance in extinguishing the fires to five countries: Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Italy. The Israel Airports Authority is preparing to receive foreign firefighting planes.
Greece and Cyprus are sending at least 10 “supertanker” planes, reports said. Italy and Belgium have also promised to send aid. The Palestinian Authority offered to send a team of firefighters to assist the efforts. Israel has not yet responded to the offer.
At about 5 p.m., police began to evacuate the residents of Beit Meir, north of Beit Shemesh. Shortly after 3 p.m., the police evacuated the yishuvim of Mevo Choron, near Modi’in and Mishmar Ayalon after previously evacuating five yishuvim near Beit Shemesh in the morning. A huge fire also broke out next to the central city of Elad. The police evacuated 1,300 yeshivah bochurim from two yeshivos in the city, and as of 4 p.m., were evacuating residents of homes in the eastern part of the city.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, a fire raged on Highway 1, and the Fire and Rescue Services stated that there is real danger to the public as drivers fled their burning cars after wildfires broke out on Wednesday morning in the Eshtaol forest near Beit Shemesh amid dry and hot weather conditions and powerful winds.
As the fire progressed, drivers on Highway 1, connecting Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, were forced to flee their cars. About 10 people had to be rescued after they were trapped in their cars due to the smoke. According to reports, four cars caught on fire but b’chasdei Hashem, the occupants of the cars managed to escape.
Rescue forces rescued people who were trapped in their cars and shortly before 3 p.m., efforts began to remove the median barriers on Highway 1 to allow cars to escape.
Twelve people were injured from smoke inhalation.
Currently, IDF forces from the 669 Rescue Unit are carrying out searches to confirm if anyone is still trapped in their cars.
Photos: Kobi Richter, Israel Fire & Rescue Authority
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