Israeli firefighters battle 250 blazes over hot, dry weekend

Firefighting aircraft flew over 150 sorties to dump flame-retardant foam on the fires, with most blazes across Israel and the West Bank under control by the end of the weekend

By JTA
13 October 2020, 12:14 pm
A firefighting plane try to extinguish a forest fire blazes near Nof HaGalil on Friday 9 October 2020. Some 200 police and volunteers accompanied by additional forces have evacuated about 5,000 residents from their homes in the northern city of Nof HaGalil on Friday as massive wildfires raged in the area. Photo by: Gil Eliyahu-JINIPIX

 Thousands of Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes over the weekend as a result of fires burning across the country.

Some 250 fires, including 13 identified as very large, spread throughout the country, including the West Bank. Dozens of homes were burned.

Fire and Rescue Commissioner Dedi Simchi told the Kan national broadcaster that some of the fires in the West Bank are believed to have been deliberately set by Palestinians.

Firefighters fight with a fire that burns at the border between Israel and Lebanon near Misgav Am, Israel, 09 October 2020. According to reports, dozens of fire broke out in various parts of the country leading to the evacuations of hundreds from their homes. Photo by: Ayal Margolin-JINIPIX

Firefighting aircraft flew over 150 sorties to dump flame-retardant foam on the fires, according to the report. Most of the fires started on Friday and were brought under control by the end of the day Saturday.

Some 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes.

Israel has been suffering from a record-breaking heatwave in recent weeks.

People watch smoke rising from a fire on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel near the northern Israeli kibbutz of Misgav Am in the Upper Galilee on October 9,2020. – Several fires spread across northern and central Israel and the occupied West Bank as temperatures soared, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people, authorities said. Photo by: Ayal Margolin-JINIPIX
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