Jerusalem fire
Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg
J'lem: Fire near monastery extinguished; police suspect arson
Fire broke out Tuesday in capital's Valley of Cross, prompting evacuation of nearby monastery. Firefighters manage to control flames; police suspect fire was result of arson
Nine firefighting teams have been working to extinguish a fire that broke out Tuesday in Jerusalem, between the Israel Museum and the Sacher Park. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames after about an hour.
Fire in Jerusalem (Video: Roee Idan) (צילום: רועי עידן)
According to the Jerusalem District Police, a nearby monastery and a scouts' structure were evacuated.
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Spokesperson for the Jerusalem Fire Department said that "There are both a monastery and a writers' compound in the area. Firefighting forces are on the scene, controlling the flames. We are doing the best we can to take over the fire… but the wind isn’t helping."
Tuesday fire near the monastery (Photo: Yonatan Gal)
Jonathan, a resident of Jerusalem, told Ynet: "I live right across the street and was watching the flames. It started out as a small fire and quickly spread to the church in the Valley of the Cross. From what I can see here there's no hysteria; the flames don’t look too high."
Residents reported that the flames could be seen from the Rehavia neighborhood in the capital.
At approximately 4:30 pm, firefighters managed to control the flames, but according to reports, police are looking into suspicion that the fire was the result of arson.
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