Firefighter teams on Wednesday extinguished a fire that broke out between the slopes of the foliage rich Carmel Mountain and one of the northern city of Haifa’s main residential districts, endangering some homes.
According to the National Fire and Rescue Authority, the cause of the fire was not immediately clear, but it may have been the result of a severe heat wave prevalent across Israel.
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Smoke billows in Haifa due to a massive fire that forced the evacuation of several residential buildings
(Photo: Ohad)
Four people were treated for smoke inhalation and several apartments were damaged in buildings that had been evacuated due to the fire’s rapid spread.
“We managed to stop the fire and it no longer poses a threat to any buildings,” said Haifa fire service commander Hezi Levi.
“Our forces deployed to protect several buildings, including a nursing home. A total of four empty buildings were damaged."
The fire in Haifa
(Video: National Fire and Rescue Authority)
Haifa municipality opened the Aba Hushi Culture Center in the city to serve as a shelter for those who were forced to evacuate due to the fire, with welfare teams providing assistance and response to the residents who made their way to the center.
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A firefighter walking inside one of the evacuated buildings in Haifa
(Photo: National Fire and Rescue Authority)
Israel is in the midst of an extreme heat wave that has already caused a massive brushfire in the city of Afula on Monday. The fire damaged three buildings before it was eventually put out by a team of 30 firefighters and four firefighting planes.
The heat wave is not expected to let up until Sunday, with temperatures expected to rise during the weekend. In the coastal plain, temperatures were expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius, while in Jerusalem temperatures were set surpass 33 degrees.