Forest fires start in Israel due to intense heat

Amid intense heat, forest fires have broken out in several areas of Israel, Report informs via Ynet.

"Highway 6 was closed until Wednesday afternoon in the section between Sorek Interchange heading north and Nesharim Interchange heading south, south of Rishon Lezion, due to a large fire that broke out in the area. As a result of the fire, train services in the area were disrupted and halted due to concerns about the fire spreading to the tracks. Following a special situational assessment, police began operational preparations for the evacuation of homes in some communities and the clearing of vehicles from the highway," reads the report.

Later, under the extreme heat conditions, the fire also spread to the area of Kfar Menachem near Kiryat Malachi. Simultaneously, a severe forest fire developed at the entrance to Moshav Tarum, north of Beit Shemesh.

According to firefighting and rescue services, 21 firefighting crews, two aircraft, and a helicopter are working to combat the fire to prevent it from spreading to the communities of Petahia and Pedia in the Judean foothills region, east of Rehovot. "The fire is spreading according to the direction of the wind, and the crews are operating on the ground and from the air simultaneously to contain the blaze," they reported.

Israel Railways announced that, due to the fires and under the guidance of firefighting authorities, train services on the line to Beit Shemesh were temporarily halted. Later, train services between Lod and Be’er Sheva were also suspended. At the same time, the police traffic department urged drivers to avoid the areas affected by the fires, follow officers' instructions, and choose alternative routes.