Fire near Kfar Giladi
Photo: Avihu Shapira
Fires plague north; arson suspected
Israel Fire and Rescue Services report of 25 blaze hubs since Tuesday, the majority of which are believed to have been set on purpose; situation compounded by heat wave
Israel Fire and Rescue Services firefighters wrestled with dozens of fires in northern Israel Wednesday, and despite the heat wave the country has been experiencing for the past few days, they are believed to be the result of arson.
The fires forced police to close off Highway 90, near Kibbutz Kfar Giladi and Route 65, near the Ara Junction, for several hours. Both have since been reopened, but heavy smoke still makes for poor visibility in the area.
Hadera Fire Department Spokesmen Lieutenant Dudu Vanunu told Ynet that dozens of fires have been spotted in northern Israel, endangering lives and property.
suspected arson (Photo: Avihu Shapira)
"The fact that there are multiple fires and the proximity of their points of origin indicate to us that we are dealing with arson," he said, adding that the motive for the acts is unclear and that the department had no details about the identity of the alleged arsonist or arsonists.
The Hadera station called in all personnel, and other local fire station sent in auxiliary teams, like trainees at the Firefighters' Academy.
According to Vanunu, the Home Front Command lent a hand by supplying extra water tankers, and two helicopters have been deployed as well, providing the teams with aerial assistance.
The Fire and Rescue Services reported dealing with 25 fires in the greater Galilee area since Tuesday.
Sharon Roffe-Ofir and Shmulik Hadad contributed to this report
