Flames threatened the Israel Museum in Jerusalem on Sunday after an hours-long forest fire spread towards the building.
Out of an abundance of caution, the museum was evacuated while 23 fire and rescue teams from across the Jerusalem district fought the blaze together with the help of eight firefighting aircraft, Israel’s Channel 12 News reported.
Museum officials said there is no danger to the works of art housed within the building.
“The fire spread towards the Israel Museum due to the winds and extremely hot weather,” the Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue Service said. “Currently the fire is taking hold in the area outside the museum. Firefighters are concentrating their efforts to stop the flames from spreading into the museum.”
An Israel Police Air Unit helicopter joined the effort as well.
A large police force from the Jerusalem District was also deployed to the area of the Matzalaba Valley, also known as Rehavia Park, where a forest fire raged a short time earlier.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
