Residents were evacuated from homes in Kesalon, near Beit Shemesh, on Sunday afternoon after a wildfire broke out close to the community and began threatening residential buildings.
Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority declared a major firefighting emergency as around 30 ground crews, supported by six firefighting aircraft, were dispatched to battle the blaze.
(Photo: Shalev Shalom)
The first row of homes in Kesalon’s Megilot HaEsh neighborhood was evacuated as firefighters worked to prevent the flames from reaching the community.
“Crews are concentrating their efforts on stopping the fire from spreading and protecting the buildings,” the Fire and Rescue Authority said.
Fire and Rescue Commissioner Eyal Caspi was closely monitoring the deployment of forces and directing operations at the scene, the authority added.
Jerusalem Border Police officers were assisting with the evacuation of residents. Police closed Highway 395 between the Eshtaol Junction and the Sataf area because of the fire.
The Mateh Yehuda Regional Council said members of its emergency response team were at the scene and that the community center in Kesalon had been opened for evacuated residents.
The council urged the public not to approach the fire zone and to leave access routes clear for emergency and firefighting forces.
The blaze erupted at the height of a heat wave affecting Israel, with heavy to extreme heat stress reported across the country. Winds also strengthened from the afternoon, particularly in mountainous and inland areas, increasing the risk of the fire spreading.
Temperatures are expected to fall slightly on Monday, mainly in the mountains and inland regions, but conditions will remain hotter than usual to scorching in those areas and humid along the coastal plain.
Although heat stress is expected to ease somewhat, heavy to extreme conditions will continue throughout the country.
A further drop in temperatures is forecast for Tuesday, particularly in the mountains and inland areas, though conditions will remain warmer than usual for the season and humid along the coast. Heavy heat stress is still expected in most regions.
The cooling trend is forecast to continue Wednesday, when temperatures are expected to return to seasonal averages.