Firefighters were called up to battle several major brush fires raging in different locations across Israel on Wednesday.
So far, around 25 firefighting teams and eight aircraft arrived on scene and worked to extinguish a blaze that broke out at Nir’s Cliff in northern Israel.
Hikers were evacuated from the area and fire services were working to protect the nearby Kibbutz Manara as strong wings hindered extensive firefighting efforts. There was no immediate danger to nearby homes.
“Over the past several hours we have been working in two very extensive sectors in the Upper Galilee where one fire is threatening Kibbutz Manara and another threatens Kiryat Shmona,” a Fire and Rescue Services official said, noting that just extensive fires were typical for the time of year.
Another wildfire broke out in a field in Wadi Ara near the central city of Umm al-Fahm. The fire brigade and volunteers were working on four different scenes to get the fires under control.
Meanwhile, close to 30 firefighting teams were called to fight a conflagration that raged between Latrun and Sha'ar HaGai in the Jerusalem area.
On Tuesday, five firefighting teams and four aircraft extinguished a wildfire near the Sea of Galilee after a three-hour battle. Due to the heavy smoke and fear of the fire spreading, about 70 hikers who were staying near the coast were evacuated.