by favoredjne
As the sun dipped below the horizon on Wednesday evening, the firefighting teams battling the raging infernos on the outskirts of Jerusalem braced for what could be a grueling and perilous night. The fires, which had erupted earlier in the day across the Jerusalem Hills, were far from contained. In fact, the Fire and Rescue Service’s Jerusalem District commander, Shmulik Friedman, warned that the coming hours would be critical and the worst might still be yet to come.
The blaze had spread rapidly since it first ignited in the morning, fueled by a combination of extreme heat, powerful winds, and dry vegetation. With the fire expanding across multiple fronts, emergency services struggled to contain it, and by evening, there were already 163 firefighting teams and 12 aircraft in action, fighting the flames from the ground and air.
A Widespread Crisis
The Jerusalem Hills, a region known for its lush landscapes, soon became a battleground. By mid-afternoon, at least five different fires were raging in the area, with the flames advancing rapidly across the landscape. Fires broke out in key hotspots, including Latrun, Neve Shalom, and the Eshtaol Forest, along with several other areas such as Mevo Horon, Burma Road toward Beit Meir, and Mesilat Zion. The danger to nearby communities grew by the hour.
Authorities moved quickly to evacuate those in harm’s way, ordering the evacuation of several towns and villages, including Neve Ilan, Shoresh, Nataf, and Yad Hashmona. By evening, the fire’s path had threatened so many others that authorities extended their orders, affecting a total of 10 communities. However, not all were forced to leave. Residents of Eshtaol and Mishmar Ayalon, who had been evacuated earlier in the day, were given the green light to return to their homes.
Despite their best efforts, authorities had no illusions about the scale of the crisis. “We are far from having control over these fires,” Friedman told reporters, as he provided updates from a makeshift press conference in the evacuated town of Eshtaol. The fire, which had broken out near Mesilat Zion, had been driven westward by strong winds, only to shift direction towards the east as the day wore on.
The Scale of Destruction
By nightfall, the damage was already significant. Early estimates suggested that approximately 11,700 dunham (around 2,900 acres) had been scorched by the fire. One of the hardest-hit areas was Canada Park, near Latrun, which had been almost completely devastated. Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, also known as the Jewish National Fund, confirmed the extent of the destruction, offering support to the fire brigades as they raced to prevent further damage.
The scale of the fire was quickly becoming apparent. According to Shmulik Friedman, this could be one of the largest and most destructive wildfires in the country’s history. “We may be looking at the largest fire this country has ever seen,” he warned, acknowledging the challenging conditions that made firefighting efforts so difficult. With high winds expected to increase to speeds of 90 to 100 kilometers per hour (about 56-62 mph), there were fears the fire would spread even further, turning the day’s devastation into something even worse.
Arson Suspicions and Law Enforcement Action
As firefighters worked tirelessly to control the blaze, there was growing concern about the possibility of arson. Some of the fires appeared to have been deliberately set, and the Shin Bet—Israel’s domestic security agency—was called in to investigate the suspected attacks.
Police acted swiftly after receiving reports of a suspect attempting to set fire to vegetation in southern Jerusalem. The man, a 50-year-old resident of East Jerusalem’s Umm Tuba neighborhood, was arrested after a brief pursuit. He was found carrying flammable materials, including a lighter and cotton wool, raising further suspicions that his actions had been deliberate.
This incident was just one of several, underscoring the possibility that some of the fires could have been set intentionally, a worrying development in the already fraught situation.
A Battle for Survival
As night fell and firefighters continued their relentless battle against the flames, the people of Jerusalem and its surrounding communities were left in a state of uncertainty. How much more devastation would the coming hours bring? Would the fire continue to spread and claim more land, homes, and lives?
For now, the priority was clear: control the fire, protect the people, and prevent further loss. But as the winds howled and the flames leaped higher into the night sky, the people of Jerusalem were forced to face an unnerving reality. This was a disaster of massive proportions—and its resolution seemed far from certain.
The coming days would be critical, as the firefighters, rescue teams, and investigators worked to understand the full scale of the damage, battle the relentless fires, and bring an end to what could go down in history as one of Israel’s most devastating wildfire events.
