Firefighters succeeded in bringing a large fire under control in Begin National Park between Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh on Friday, with 23 firefighting teams and four firefighting aircraft having taken part in the efforts.
Israel Fire and Rescue Services announced on Friday that firefighters found evidence on the ground that the fire had been purposely ignited. The fire was sparked from seven locations dozens of meters from one another in areas that are hard to reach.
An initial report to the control center of the Jerusalem district stated that a person was seen driving an off-road vehicle while carrying a torch and lighting fires while they drove. One of the attempts to spark a fire did not succeed, according to an initial investigation.
A woman in her 30s from Hashmonaim who was considered an at-risk missing person was arrested on Thursday after suspicion arose of her igniting the fire. On Friday, her arrest was extended until next Wednesday.