Hundreds Battle Blazes Ripping Through Jerusalem Area; Fire May Be Israel’s Largest Ever

Exactly one week after a massive forest fire in Eshtaol left over 10,000 dunams scorched, the fire reignited in five locations on Wednesday morning, April 30. The fires in the Jerusalem Hills area spread quickly, as a stifling heatwave and strong winds made it difficult to bring the blazes under control.

By Wednesday evening, the fire service said it had 163 firefighting teams on the ground and 12 firefighting planes battling the conflagrations surrounding Jerusalem at several key hotspots, including multiple places in Latrun, Neve Shalom and the Eshtaol Forest. 

Fires were also spreading in Mevo Horon, along Burma Road toward Beit Meir, Mesilat Zion, and near a gas station in Sha’ar Hagai. Reportedly, at least 12 people suffered from smoke inhalation, though none were in serious condition.

Some 11,700 dunam (2,900 acres) were burned in the blazes, according to a Wednesday night estimate by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael — Jewish National Fund, which said the Canada Park, near Latrun, had been almost completely torched. 

At a press conference in the evacuated community of Eshtaol on Wednesday evening, the commander of the Fire and Rescue Service’s Jerusalem District, Shmulik Friedman, warned that the fire in the Jerusalem hills “may be the largest there has ever been in this country,” and was not yet even close to being contained. (TOI/VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we pray for all the people who were injured because of the massive fires in Israel. We pray in Yeshua's Name that You heal them completely and help erase painful memories from their minds. We thank You for protecting us and not letting anyone perish due to the fires, and we are extremely grateful for all the fire department personnel bravely saving so many lives. We pray that You bring an end to all the fires and that no such devastation will happen again in our country. We also pray that You prevent anyone who tries to commit arson and that You will bring the ones who have already done so to justice.”