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‘We are far from control’ — Jerusalem wildfires rage in one of Israel’s largest blazes

PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that Italy and Croatia were expected to send three firefighting planes to assist. Israel has also reached out to Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and other nations.

An Israeli firefighter works as forest fire is burning near Jerusalem. (AP photo)

Wildfires continued to rage across the outskirts of Jerusalem, prompting mass evacuations, closing major highways, and triggering a large-scale emergency response involving hundreds of firefighters, military support, and international aid appeals. The fires erupted in multiple locations amid searing heat and strong winds.

Shmulik Friedman, Jerusalem District Commander for the Fire and Rescue Service, warned that the fire “may be the largest there has ever been in this country” and was far from being contained. “Regarding our activity, it will continue for a very long time. We are far from having control [over the fires],” Friedman said at a press briefing in the evacuated community of Eshtaol, according to The Times of Israel.

A forest fire burn near Jerusalem. (AP photo)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Italy and Croatia were expected to send three firefighting planes to assist. Israel has also reached out to Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and other nations.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Romania, Spain, France, Cyprus, and additional countries expressed willingness to help, while Ukraine and Ecuador were among those offering helicopters.

Firefighters work to extinguish a forest fire burning on a freeway to Jerusalem. (AP photo)

Crews deployed, roads closed

The fires reportedly began near Mesilat Zion and rapidly spread westward, later shifting east as wind gusts reached up to 90-100 kilometers per hour (56-62 mph).

The exact cause of the fires remains unclear. (AP photo)

Reuters reported that 120 firefighting units were mobilised alongside aircraft, helicopters, and military teams. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed search and rescue personnel, fire trucks, water tanks, and Super Hercules planes that dropped over 25 loads of fire retardant material.

A plane uses a fire retardant to extinguish a fire burning in a forest near Jerusalem. (AP photo)

The main Route 1 highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, along with Route 3, was closed throughout the day as flames approached. TV footage captured people abandoning their vehicles and fleeing on foot through thick smoke.

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At least 18 people were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation and burns, including two pregnant women and two infants, The Times of Israel reported. Twelve firefighters also sustained light injuries.

While the exact cause of the fires remains unclear, a 50-year-old East Jerusalem resident was arrested on suspicion of attempting to ignite a fire in southern Jerusalem, The Times of Israel reported.

(With inputs from Reuters, Times of Israel)

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