Massive Wildfire Burns 5,000 Acres Near Jerusalem in 30 Hours – Fire Now Under Control, Says Israel

Massive Wildfire Burns 5,000 Acres Near Jerusalem in 30 Hours – Fire Now Under Control, Says Israel

Israel announced on Thursday that a massive wildfire that spread across the Jerusalem area has been fully brought under control after nearly 30 hours. The fire scorched approximately 20,000 dunams (around 5,000 acres) of land.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN and Channel 12 reported that the Fire and Rescue Authority confirmed the large fire that erupted in the Jerusalem hills on Wednesday is now fully contained.

A special investigative committee has been formed to determine the source of the fire, according to state media.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the fire was deliberately set, Channel 12 contradicted this, reporting: “The main fires in the Jerusalem hills were not set intentionally. Preliminary investigations suggest they were caused by negligence.”

Speaking with students on Thursday, Netanyahu said, “Currently, 18 individuals are in our custody on suspicion of deliberately starting fires — one of them was caught at the scene.”

However, Israel Army Radio challenged Netanyahu’s statement, reporting that “only three people have been detained on suspicion of arson.”

Dismissing Netanyahu’s accusations, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper stated, “At this stage, there is no conclusive evidence to prove the fires were intentionally set.”

Later, Channel 12 reported that “a large fire spreading near Givat Washington injured one Israeli slightly.”

The channel noted that firefighters were still struggling to control this blaze and were working under extremely difficult conditions. Firefighters are reportedly doing everything they can to prevent the flames from reaching residential areas.

There had been some smaller fires in the area the previous week as well. Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify the origin of the fires.

On Wednesday, thousands of residents were evacuated from various towns located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. At the time, many vehicles were trapped in the fire on the roads, forcing drivers to abandon their cars and flee on foot to save their lives.