More fires were reported across northern Israel Thursday, a day after large wooded areas in the north were decimated by blazes.
By Thursday afternoon, at least three fires were reported in the Lower Galilee region. Earlier in the day, fires were reported throughout Israel, including in the north, Negev, and Jerusalem area.
Firefighters were able to contain at least two of the large fires in the north, and were working to put out a third blaze threatening homes in the community of Menachemia.
Northern Fires
Fires plague north; arson suspected / Ahiya Raved
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
As was the case Wednesday, firefighting officials estimate that the latest blazes are the work of arsonists.
"This rings warning bells," senior fire department official Mickey Cohen said. "We barely have time to investigate why the fires break out before we are called upon to distinguish yet another blaze."
"It's enough for us to identify the center of the fire and see where it started to realize that whoever did it got there on purpose," Cohen said. "These sites don't have readily available access routes, and those are not sites where hikers go."
Firefighters have been working around the clock in the past two days in an effort to contain the many fires. Two planes have taken part in the firefighting effort so far.
Police officials are continuing to look into the various fires
and have not yet ascertained the causes for some of the blazes. One possibility examined by investigators is that the arson was nationalistically motivated.
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