Firefighters, planes combat fire in West Bank woods near evacuated settlement, Highway 60 closed
Four firefighting aircraft were operating at the scene, with the preliminary reports saying that the fire was expanding fast and fears of it reaching the homes of the settlement.
A fire erupted in the woods near the evacuated West Bank settlement of Afeka on Wednesday, prompting its residents to be evacuated. Firefighting teams and aircraft are currently battling the blaze. The Israel Police have closed Highway 60 to facilitate firefighting efforts and have advised the public to stay away from the area. The Israel Fire and Rescue Authority expressed concern that strong winds could cause the fire to spread toward the settlement.
Reshef Liran Ben-Rasah, the shift commander, ordered the deployment of firefighting aircraft from the Elad squadron and additional ground teams to the scene. Four firefighting aircraft are currently active at the location. Preliminary reports suggest the fire is spreading rapidly, with the primary focus being on preventing it from reaching the settlement.
In a similar incident earlier this month, the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority responded to a fire near the Beit Dror settlement in the West Bank, as well as several other fires in the region. The initial fire occurred in an open area, quickly spreading toward the settlement due to gusty winds. Firefighters established a defensive perimeter around the settlement homes, and further assistance from additional teams was dispatched to the scene.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Israeli military fire wounds two Palestinians in West Bank's Qusra middleeasteye.net
