Israel asks for international help as fires mar Independence Day

Half a dozen countries are already sending planes to help contain the blazes that could be the worst in the country’s history.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Israel asked for immediate help Wednesday from over a dozen countries to aid in containing the huge blazes that erupted in several places in the center of the country, marring the celebration of Israeli Independence Day.

Croatia, Cyprus, France, Italy, Spain and Romania already answered Foreign Minister Gideon Saar’s call positively.

According to the National Security Council, Italy and Croatia are sending three Canadair “Super Scooper” planes.

These aircraft can collect 1,600 gallons at once and do not have to land in order to collect the water, as they skim the surface of a body of water, fill their tanks in about 12 seconds, and immediately turn around to get back to the fire.

It has a system that mixes the water with a foam concentrate to more effectively fight the flames, and has four openings so it can pour the water over a wider area.

Romania is sending one firefighting plane and one for logistical support, the Foreign Ministry said, while Spain said they would send two firefighting planes and France would send one.

As it is too difficult for them to work well at night, all are expected to arrive over the course of Thursday.

Cyprus is sending about six planes. Limassol was one of the first capitals Saar contacted, as well as Athens, as Cyprus and Greece are two of the closest countries geographically to Israel.

Jerusalem had sent firefighting assistance, including boots on the ground, to both countries when massive fires broke out there just a few weeks apart during the summer of 2023.

Cyprus, Greece and Israel also had held a joint firefighting exercise in 2022, practicing how to extinguish forest fires from the air and the ground, and rescuing people from the danger areas.

Other countries that have been contacted include Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, North Macedonia and the UK.

The Palestinian Authority also reportedly offered to send firefighters to help with the fires around Jerusalem.

Israel’s fire service remains at its highest alert level, with 126 teams still battling blazes in six major trouble spots in the forests of the Judean plains.

The Jerusalem district’s fire authorities announced Thursday morning that “There are still dozens of active hotspots. If there are strong winds, they could set the place on fire. We will continue to operate at the same intensity at least until Saturday.”

Seventeen firefighters have been injured battling the flames, with two evacuated to hospital for further treatment.

Hundreds of people were rescued from various fires Wednesday, with video clips on social media showing drivers abandoning their vehicles on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway as flames roared right near the road.

Over 5,000 acres have been destroyed so far in the forest fires.