Communities evacuated as large brushfires burn near Jerusalem
On Wednesday, large brushfires raged in the Eshtaol Forest on the outskirts of Jerusalem, prompting evacuations in several communities and the closure of roads.
It was the second time in the space of a week that fires in the hills to the west of the capital have led to the evacuation of residents, News.Az reports citing The Times of Israel.
The Fire and Rescue Service reported fires were raging in at least five places in the Jerusalem hills.
The fire came amid a heatwave and strong winds that made it difficult to bring the blaze under control.
The communities of Neve Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, and Nachshon were evacuated along with the military memorial in Latrun, interrupting a memorial ceremony at the site. The nearby monastery was also evacuated.
Police were told to prepare for the possible evacuation of Mesilat Zion as well.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority said it was evacuating hikers from a number of parks in the area.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Route 1, the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, was closed, and police called on people to avoid the area. Nearby Route 3 was also closed, as were routes 65, 70, and 85.
Train traffic between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was also canceled.
A command center was set up in the IKEA branch in the Eshtaol area, Ynet reported. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman were heading to the location.
There were 63 firefighting teams and 11 aircraft battling the flames, the rescue service said.
The service had issued a general call-up of all members in the Jerusalem area, then later expanded that to draw in units from across the country. Magen David Adom emergency service ambulances and response vehicles were put on standby to assist in the case of injuries.
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