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Fire rages on
Photo: Moran Maayan, JNF
Beit Oren in flames
Photo: Dror Einav

Firefighters: Blaze spreading towards Haifa University

Northern fire spreads in University of Haifa's direction, official says; dorms evacuated earlier. Northern resort also under threat, he say, firefighting teams ordered to evacuate site, which turned into 'trap of fire'

The massive fire still raging in northern Israel is spreading towards the University of Haifa, firefighting officials said Friday evening.

 

Students have been evacuated from the institution's dorms earlier and the university is currently closed.

 

Blaze coverage on Ynetnews:

 

 

Two fire trucks were rescued from the flames in Nir Etzion Friday following fear for the firefighters' lives. Residents of Nir Etzion, Ein Hod and Yemin Orad were asked to immediately evacuate their homes. The communities were evacuated on Thursday but some residents later returned to their homes.

 

As the wind was working against the fire, the flames were not expected to reach the university anytime soon at this pace, fire department operations officer Gabi Chai said. However, should the wind change its direction, the blaze may reach the university quickly, he said.


Aerial efforts suspended at night (Photo: Moran Yona)

 

"We need to understand that the road to the university is replete with vegetation that may feed the fire," Chai said.

 

The senior firefighting official also expressed grave concern that the Carmel Forest Spa Resort will be caught up in the flames. Seven firefighting teams were holding a status evaluation at the site earlier, before being told to evacuate the area immediately.

 

"We realized it was time to get out of there, as the site turned into a trap of fire," Chai said. "We had 40 firefighters there. All of us could have been burned. The fire enveloped everything and there's no telling whether the resort will burn."

 

17,000 Israelis evacuated

Earlier in the evening, the fire was spreading towards Haifa and other areas, as aerial firefighting efforts were halted for the night. Thousands of residents in Haifa's Denia neighborhood were evacuated from their homes Thursday and officials fear the fire may now reach their homes.

 

Haifa Police spokesman Mor Inbar said that Denia residents are not being evacuated apart from families residing in houses near the Carmel Park who left their homes on Thursday. Meanwhile, the fire continued to rage on in open areas in the Carmel forests as firefighting teams were trying to block the flames from spreading.

 

Friday evening, firefighters managed to contain the fire in the Hai Bar nature reserve reignited earlier Friday. 


Sad holiday for evacuees (Photo: Ido Erez)

 

Also Friday, a brush fire erupted near Mitzpe Adi in the north. The community's homes are not in jeopardy yet, officials said. Police said that several families left the area even though an evacuation order was not issued

 

Brush fires also broke out near the village of Mashhad and near Beit Ilut. Firefighter teams were operating in the region. Police suspect the fire was a result of arson.

 

Elsewhere, the fire that broke out near Bat Shlomo has been extinguished.

 

Officials estimate that thus far some 35,000 dunam (8,648.653 acres) caught fire and some 17,000 people were evacuated from their homes in 14 different communities.

 

Aerial extinguishing efforts have been suspended for the night. Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen expressed hope that the fire will be contained by Saturday evening.

 

Ahiva Raved, Hagai Einav, Roni Sofer and Yoav Zitun contributed to this report

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 12.03.10, 19:38
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