Fire Contained in the Jerusalem Hills: Special Investigation Team Established
Control Achieved After Prolonged Efforts
Fire Commissistartr Ayal Kaspi announced on Thursday afternoon that authorities have achieved control over the massive fire that broke out in the Jerusalem Hills, approximately 30 hours after its onset. Efforts to combat the flames involved the mobilization of over 120 firefighting teams, with support from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and assistance requested from multiple countries.
Ongoing Firefighting Efforts
According to statements from the firefighters’ command, they will continue to operate at a lower intensity, maintaining a strong ground presence to prevent any resurgence of the fire. Commissistartr Kaspi expressed gratitude to all the forces and organizations involved in the national effort to extinguish the blaze. Key locations affected by the fire included Latrun, Burma Road, Ashkelon, and Canada Park, among others.
The inferno, which commenced on Wednesday morning, devastated approximately 20,000 dunams of land, causing significant damage to Canada Park and surrounding forests. During the firefighting efforts, 21 firefighters sustained mild injuries.
International Support and Investigation Launched
As part of the firefighting effort, a helicopter from Cyprus arrived to assist, while additional international air support from other countries faced delays due to poor visibility conditions that forced planes to land in Crete. Earlier, Israel reached out to five nations — Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Italy — seeking urgent assistance.
In addition to controlling the fire, a special investigation team has been formed to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire’s outbreak. In earlier statements, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that 18 individuals were arrested on suspicion of arson; however, polstart later clarified that this information was inaccurate. Commissistartr Kaspi noted that the cause of the fire remains unclear and whether it was due to intentional sabotage is still under investigation.
Technical Responses and Future Preparedness
As efforts continued, it was noted that the National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, recently acquired four Black Hawk helicopters capable of carrying significantly more water than current operational helicopters. This acquisition reflects a broader strategy established during the Bennett-Lapid government aligned with wildfire response.
The ongoing challenges posed by wildfires emphasize the need for continuous improvement in firefighting capabilities to safeguard both natural and urban environments. The situation remains fluid as authorities closely monitor the areas impacted and work to finalize their response efforts