Israel: Jerusalem hills wildfire brought under control, thousands evacuated

Israel's National Fire & Rescue Authority on Thursday night confirmed that they have brought the flames under control, not before it ravaged the Jerusalem hills for 30 hours.

The announcement came hours after roads and train lines were reopened and evacuees from the area were permitted to return to their homes, reported The Times of Israel.

The fire service told the newspaper that firefighters would continue their efforts over the coming hours, albeit at a lower intensity than before, to prevent new fires from cropping up.

According to reports,  the blaze burned about 5,000 acres (20 square kilometres) of land.

The fire service said an investigation will be initiated to ascertain the cause of the blaze.

The Jewish National Fund told The Times of Israel that the blaze, which forced the cancellation of most Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday night, destroyed around 20,000 dunams (5,000 acres) of land, out of which some 13,000 dunams (3,000 acres) were forest, including roughly 70 percent of the West Bank’s Canada Park.

No major injuries have been reported in the incident.

Some local media reports, however, claimed 12 people were injured in the wildfire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Palestinian arson for the fire.

National Emergency

He had declared the situation a national emergency.

Israeli police told The Times of Israel that three suspects have been arrested so far.

Speaking at the annual Independence Day Bible Competition in Jerusalem in the morning, Netanyahu wrongfully claimed 18 people were arrested in connection with the fire, reported The Times of Israel.

According to reports, Israel has sought international assistance to combat the flames.

Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Ukraine and Romania are among those sending aircraft, Sky News earlier reported.

2010 Forest Fire

A major fire broke out on Israel's Mount Carmel in 2010, which left at least 44 people dead.