Speaking at an official government one-month memorial service for the victims of the Carmel fire, President Shimon Peres praised the firefighters and volunteers who fought the fire, saying it overwhelmed them, "but they didn't run from [the fire], they worked to rescue lives."
The president spoke of visiting the families of the fire's victims, saying that "it was an honor to visit them in their homes." He added, "I could only say one thing to them, to thank them on behalf of the country."
