Three homes burn down, 6 injured by smoke as fires rage throughout country

According to the National Fire and Rescue Authority, some 600 firefighters and 12 aircrafts have been placed on high alert at stations throughout the nation.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD
A house in Tel Mond that was destroyed by a fire (photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
A house in Tel Mond that was destroyed by a fire
(photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
Wednesday’s historic heat wave sparked residential, commercial, forest and brush fires throughout the country, primarily in Central and Southern Israel, Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
According to the National Fire and Rescue Authority, some 600 firefighters and 12 aircrafts have been placed on high alert at stations throughout the nation.
One brush fire destroyed at least three single-family homes and ignited two gas explosions in the town of Tel Mond, east of Netanya, he said.  No injuries were reported, and firefighters were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to other residences.
Another blaze broke out in Jerusalem’s Atarot neighborhood’s industrial zone, which was eventually contained by numerous firefighting crews by Wednesday afternoon, Rosenfeld said.
A building fire in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud resulted in six hospitalizations due to light injuries from smoke inhalation, as well as severe structural damage, he added.
Meanwhile, forest fires broke out in Nahal Sorek, near the suburb of Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, requiring over 20 firefighting teams and four aircrafts to contain and extinguish it, Rosenfeld said.
No serious injuries were reported.
Residents of the town of Mabuim, located in Southern Israel, were ordered to evacuate their homes after a fire broke out there, as firefighters continue to battle the blaze, Rosenfeld said. 
By Wednesday evening, he said the majority of the blazes were either contained or extinguished.
“Police units responded together with firefighters to fight the blazes in Southern and Central Israel, and police units blocked off roads to prevent people from entering dangerous areas,” he said.
“No serious injuries were reported.”