JewishPress.com is live-blogging the efforts of Israel’s firefighters and security forces as they battle against the flames of pyroterrorism across the country.
Arabs have been caught and arrested in multiple locations setting fires.
10:54 Fire near Dolev. Caravans being evacuated
10:51 Fires spreading near Nataf / Shaar Hagai — again.
10:32 PM Evacuating homes on Mount Halutz, with one already burnt.
8:43 PM The fire in Emmanuel (Immanuel) is now under control. The fire got as close as 100 meters to the houses, and they almost began to evacuate.
8:36 PM Prime Minister Netanyahu in a briefing on Wednesday: “Every fire caused by arson, or incitement to commit arson, is terrorism for all intents and purposes, and we will bring them to justice.”
8:24 PM Fire near Emmanuel (Immanuel) in the Shomron, started around 20 minutes ago….going straight towards homes. Road closed from Emmanuel to Yakir.
8:09 PM Fire near Binyamin road 465, east of Tzofit, towards Ateret. 4 fire teams on site. No evacuation needed yet.
8:08 PM More than a dozen firefighters and firefighting aircraft are battling a blaze that has broken out in northern Israel in the area surrounding the community of Ein Hashufat. Firefighters are also deployed along the outskirts of the town itself, preparing to block the flames from spreading into the community because the blaze is not yet under control.
Jerusalem district fire and rescue officials say the Shuafat fire is under control. No one injured.
7:53 PM Fire and rescue officials estimate that more than 5,000 hectares of forest have burned, with untold damage to homes, property and nature, plant and animal life.
7:49 PM Power cut off at least until tomorrow morning in the following Haifa neighborhoods: Ramat Hen, Ramat Sapir, Ramat Amogi, Ramat Begin, Ramat Golda, Horev, Old Romema and New Romema.
Beit Sahur Carmel to be evacuated shortly in Haifa, according to Israel Prisons Authority
Fire under control in Shuafat – 2 homes evacuated.
7:45 PM Route 375, Husan Bypass between Beitar Illit and El Khader junction – suspicious object. Traffic halted in both directions. Update: Reopened.
7:43 PM Firefighters battling a brush fire near Shuafat, near depot parking lot … firefighters trying to contain the blaze
7:41 PM Car filled with gasoline discovered in the brush next to a forest — occupants fled.
7:29 PM Overview of the past few hours:
-Israel Prison Service evacuating facilities in Carmel Region.
-Classes at Haifa University halted, cancelled Friday.
-Firefighters working to protect installations of Israel Election Corporation around Jerusalem.
-Traffic halted on Highway 443 at Shilat Junction due to flames.
-Brush fire outbreak in parking lot of a Modi’in train station. Both stops in Modi’in shut down as a precaution.
-Two helicopters and six firefighters scrambled to Maccabi’im checkpoint as blaze spreads toward shopping center.
-Fires in Kibbutz Harel near Beit Shemesh, Oranit, Yitzhar, Rishonim Interchange, Savion Junction, Umm al-Fahm
-Fire in Hadera at a power station when dry brush “ignited” … fire approximately 300 meters from Yitzhar, with residents helping firefighters contain the blaze.
-Fire in areas near Yuvalim and Misgav in northern Israel.
-Four firefighting aircraft from Cyprus and Greece.
-Aircraft arrived with 49 crew members, included one Air Tractor from Cyprus and two Bombardiers and one Hercules from Greece.
7:15 PM Fires restarting at Shaar Hagai
6:52 PM Fire in woods near Ein Hod
6::49 PM Firefighter evacuated from Neve Ilan, Lightly injured.
6:49 PM Keren Kayemet looking for volunteers with 4x4s to help look for fires. Call Meir Tzafriri 053-850-0936 if you can volunteer.
6:47 PM View from a helicopter above the Neve Ilan area
6:38 PM Fire near Beit Safafa (Jerusalem)
6:04 PM Pre-arson setup found in Derech Karmit in Jerusalem.
5:57 Fire in woods near Nirit, houses on fire. Evacuations have begun.
5:52 PM Prison 6 being evacuated
5:44 PM Fire in forest west of Adura
5:43 Communities in the south opening up their homes to evacuees from Haifa.
5:35 PM: Fire in Ein Shofet forest
5:30 PM Fire outside town of Yitzhar
5:25 Damon prison to be evacuated.
5:19 PM Fire in Hadera – Givat Olga – not a large fire, no one in danger.
5:21 PM IDF cancels leave. Soldiers to stay on base in ready to fight terror fires.
5:07 PM Fire in park near Nazareth Ilit.
5:00 PM MK Oren Hazan has called for life imprisonment for pyroterrorists.
4:55 PM: Firestarter kit found – Students at Hesder Yeshiva Ohr HaYeshu’a in the Neve Sha’anan neighborhood in Haifa caught a youth making cardboard boxes to use as kindling to start a fire at Givat HaShivshevet between the Grande Mall and the Romema neighborhood. The youth fled and the “brush fire” was extinguished.
4:50 PM: Ramat Gilad – Land mines explodes due to heat from nearby flames
4:17 PM: Route 55 closes, in the direction of Kedum from Karnei Shomron
3:41 Firefighters trying to keep Highway 1 (Jerusalem – Tel Aviv) open as fire rages near Shaar Hagai.
3:21 PM Fire near Oranit, Yishpro Center / Modiin railway line, Maaleh Livona, Maaleh Efrayim, Har Bracha, Road 55 – Near Nabi Alias.