A brush fire raged for about three hours Wednesday evening along the banks of the Yarkon River in Ramat Gan, between Ramat Gan Stadium and the nearby training stadium behind Ayalon Mall, close to Maccabiah Bridge.
Train traffic in the area was suspended because of the fire and resumed after the blaze was extinguished. Footage from the scene showed a train passing close to the flames before service was halted.
Footage: Train passes through the flames
(Video: Ofir Ilan)
(Photo: Yuval Chen)
Israel Fire and Rescue Services said seven firefighting and rescue crews operated in several sectors as the blaze spread to both banks of the river because of dry brush and vegetation.
The fire was extinguished after about three hours, after which crews carried out final extinguishing operations and searches to rule out anyone being trapped in the area.
Oded Ilan, who lives near the scene, said he noticed the fire from his home across the road from the athletics stadium. “I live across the road from the athletics stadium, and it directly overlooks the fire,” he said. Ilan said the intensity of the blaze later weakened. “Suddenly we saw it. I don’t think that was exactly when it started, but you could already really see it burning,” he said of the footage showing a train passing near the flames.
The public was asked to avoid the area. Israel Railways said that because of a fire near the tracks in the Bnei Brak area, train service had been suspended and delays and changes were affecting routes and stations on the Sharon Ring line.
“Train traffic will resume as usual once approval is received from the fire authorities,” the railway said.