As night fell in the small town of Zichron Yaakov, the electricity remained disconnected Tuesday evening around the area where homes were damaged from a massive fire.
At least 10 homes were destroyed and more than a dozen residents, including a number of babies and children, were taken to the Hillel Yaffa Medical Center, suffering from smoke inhalation during the course of the day.
Firefighters continued to mop up smaller fires that continued to burn around the small city. Residents who were evacuated received permission to return home, but were warned to stay alert.
Some 205 firefighters remained in the area and were spread out to fight the fires that continued to burn.The winds picked up towards the evening hours, making it more difficult to control the flames, officials said.
At least 40 firefighting vehicles and eight firefighting planes were engaged in battling the blaze. According to Israel Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld, the cause of the massive blaze “seems to be weather conditions.”