Forest fires at Jerusalem: rage flames and the smoke is unbearable!

Forest fires at Jerusalem: rage flames and the smoke is unbearable!

Large areas near Jerusalem are still on fire. According to Kleine Zeitung have been raging in the region since Wednesday, which are driven by dense smoke and drastical change of temperature. People had to flee from their vehicles, while more than 100 cars were dragged to a parking space due to the dangerous situation. The injuries of several people are also worrying, including due to smoke injuries.

The Israeli fire brigade has described the situation as a "perhaps largest" forest fire in Israel for years. However, the cause of the fires remains unclear. While the temperatures after a heat wave fell overnight, the Israeli weather service warns against strong wind in the afternoon, which could increase the risk of fire.

measures and international support

In order to fight the fires, fire aircraft from Cyprus and Italy have come to the affected areas during the day. In the meantime, all streets, including the central expressway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, were released for traffic. A fire in a nursing home in a suburb of Tel Aviv also led to minor injuries to several residents that could be saved.

A look at forest fire statistics

These current events reflect a worrying tendency in forest fires worldwide. In 2022, 2,397 fires were registered in Germany, which destroyed around 3,058 hectares of forest space, such as Environmental dialogue reported. This corresponds to an area that resembles the size of the East Frisian island of Borkum. It is alarming that in 2022 the year has been with the second largest burned forest area since 1977, only exceeded from 1992.

The increase in the fires is worrying, especially since 90 percent of the burned area was created from June to August. Unexplained causes were responsible for 42 percent of the fire areas, while 36 percent were caused by intent or arson. Such statistics underline urgency to reinforce measures for fire prevention and control, especially in times of extreme weather conditions.