Widescale fires spread rapidly in Jerusalem-area forest, forcing residents to evacuate and blocking roads.
The Jerusalem District firefighting chief, Fireman Officer Shmulik Friedman, has ordered the immediate evacuation of the towns of Eshta’ol and Mesilat Zion, following the rapid spreading of a fire in the Eshta’ol forest near Jerusalem
The decision was made following a special situational assessment held in light of the risk to the residents’ homes. A total of 45 firefighting teams are at the scene, aided by firefighting planes, aid helicopters, and JNF-KKL teams.
Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service announced that it would declare a “Fire Plague” due to the scale of the fire near Beit Shemesh, and called in additional forces from the Jerusalem District and nearby districts.
“The fire is spreading quickly and the firefighters are working to stop it and to prevent it from spreading to populated areas,” a statement read.
Police began evacuating the towns of Eshta’ol and Mesilat Zion, which are near the fire. Route 44 near Moshav Tarum has been closed to traffic due to the spreading flames. Route 38 from Beit Shemesh to Jerusalem is also closed to traffic.
At the same time, a large fire broke out near Moshav Petahia in central Israel, leading to the abandonment of vehicles on Highway 6 after drivers fled for their lives. The highway is closed to traffic from the Nesharim Interchange to the Sorek Interchange in both directions. Sixteen firefighting teams, two firefighting planes, and a helicopter are working to stop the spread of the fire.
“The firefighters are working in parallel from the ground and air,” the Fire and Rescue Service stressed. “The fire is spreading in the direction of the wind, and effort is being focused on limiting the spread.”
