Golan Heights fire rages
Photo: Lior Dangur
Fires roar through Israel
Heat wave causes fires throughout Israel; hundreds of hikers evacuated by fire dept., rescue forces
The intense heat wave extending throughout Israel brought
with it a number of fires that spread through the areas of Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. No injuries were reported.
A fire department spokesman told Ynet that 300 hikers had to be evacuated after a fire broke out in the Carmela forest near Beit Shemesh. The fire department continued to work towards extinguishing the fire after the hikers had been removed from the area unharmed.
Earlier another blaze erupted in the farms of a kibbutz close to Beit Shemesh, and burned to the ground a structure made of asbestos. Firefighters extinguished the fire and the Environment Ministry continued to handle the case, due to the environmental damage known to be caused by asbestos.
In another fire in a Golan seasonal stream, firefighters evacuated dozens of hikers from the area. Police and firefighters, along with a number of extinguishing planes, worked together to extinguish the fire.
A rescue team was called to intervene when some of the hikers became fatigued during the evacuation.
