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Fires brought under control as Israel assesses damage

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Israeli officials have reported that fires which raged in central and northern Israel last week were largely brought under control and they are now focusing on the source of the fires and the damage caused.

Yoram Levy, the spokesman for the fire and rescue services, told AFP yesterday that “there are no active sites left” and that “since last night [Saturday] it’s been pretty calm”.

Although the situation was under control, fires were reported yesterday near the southern city of Kiryat Malachi and other locations.

Last week’s fires predominantly hit the Haifa and Jerusalem hills areas. In Haifa, around 80,000 people were evacuated from their homes and around 700 acres were destroyed. In total, as much as 32,000 acres of natural forests and brush were destroyed, around 30 per cent more than the area destroyed by the 2010 Carmel Forest fire.

At least 700 homes were damaged or destroyed by the fires and 122 people have been treated for injuries, mainly smoke inhalation. There have been no reported deaths.

Over 1.5m tons of fire retardant materials and liquids have been used since Saturday night. With Israel’s fire-fighting forces stretched, countries including the US, Russia, Turkey, Greece, France, Spain and Canada all sent crews to help aid the effort. The Palestinian Authority (PA) also sent eight fire engines to help extinguish the fires.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday telephoned PA President Mahmoud Abbas to thank the PA for their assistance.

Although dry conditions and high winds are thought to have been a major cause of the fires, Israeli officials say that arson was also to blame for a significant number of the fires. A police statement said they suspect that between 30 to 40 of the 90 fires investigated so far were caused by arson, with 23 arrests already made.

An unnamed Israel Police source told YNet  “the people who carry out the act [of arson] aren’t from some guiding hand,” and the arsons are likely uncoordinated.