Videos | Impressive fires in Jerusalem, Israel: blaze spreads to highways, prompting evacuations
A large wildfire was reported this Wednesday, April 30, affecting much of Jerusalem , Israel. According to authorities in the Middle Eastern country, the blazes occurred in a mountainous area near the city.
Israeli Army Chief Eyal Zamir, for his part, ordered in a statement the deployment of troops to assist the Fire Department in dealing with the flames that are rapidly spreading toward the urban area due to strong winds and high temperatures.
Videos shared on social media show how the situation is progressing. Some footage was taken from highways, where several vehicles were abandoned due to the proximity of one of the fire's hot spots. "Oh my God, I'm sorry, I feel the heat," a woman can be heard screaming as the fire approached her car.
According to local media outlet Israel News, at least six communities, including Neveh Shalom , have already been evacuated, and more than 100 fire trucks and six aircraft have been deployed to fight the blazes.
BREAKING! Greece, Italy, and Croatia are sending over teams to help extinguish the fires in Israel. This is terrifying. It could easily reach my house. Praying it doesn't. People are abandoning their cars on Israel's main highway. Pray. pic.twitter.com/AHQk2vMPWo
🇮🇱 | URGENT: Israel is calling for foreign help to extinguish fires in the Jerusalem area as the blazes spread, prompting motorists to abandon their vehicles on major roads. pic.twitter.com/50ky883unr
Massive fire in Jerusalem forces evacuation of towns and roads
The massive blaze in the forests near Jerusalem forced Israeli authorities to call on the surrounding community to evacuate the surrounding villages and roads near the blaze.
The fire also caused the cancellation of Independence Day celebrations.
The flames were seen from the car windows of hundreds of commuters.Photo:X: @JanaBeris1
The fire, which was reported on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of residents of Mishar Ayalon and Nachshon, the Latrun area, and Neve Shalom.
Some of the road accesses closest to the fire were closed , and police asked travelers to seek alternate routes and avoid blocked sections.
The blaze forced thousands of people to evacuate from nearby towns.Photo:X: @JanaBeris1
Israel's emergency services reported in a statement that they have been providing medical assistance to people affected by smoke inhalation. According to the newspaper El Siglo , twelve people have been transferred to the Kaplan and Shamir Assaf Harofeh hospitals.
In addition, two babies were reported injured and 10 people were treated by paramedics.
The army joined forces with security forces to help control the blaze, which was raging out of control. According to a military statement, soldiers were ordered to assist the police, firefighters, and rescue services "in any way necessary."
#Israel#Now Massive fires are ravaging the areas of Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, forcing the evacuation of six communities and calling for a national mobilization. To combat the blazes, the Israeli government has requested international assistance from Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, and… pic.twitter.com/ZytbAeoYmq
The fire service, along with 105 pieces of equipment and 12 aircraft, managed to extinguish the blaze while fighting to prevent it from spreading amid the dry conditions and strong winds that swept through the area.
This fire comes a week after a similar incident occurred in the forested area of Eshtaol, about 25 kilometers from Jerusalem.
Firefighters, the army, and rescue services were on hand to control the blaze.Photo:X: @AlertaNews24
Prime Minister's Office provides updates on the fire
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that updates on the status of the fire were received during the emergency and assessments were being conducted on the firefighting efforts in the west of the city.
The fire in Jerusalem was captured on social media by hundreds of people.Photo:X: @david_ordaz
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has asked his counterparts in Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, and Greece for assistance in addressing the emergency . According to Channel 12, the latter two countries have sent assistance, although details of their actions are unknown.
