Fire fighters contain J'lem, Carmel area fires

Police arrest four West Bank Palestinians in connection with the fire that broke out in Moshav Even Sapir near Jerusalem.

By TAMARA ZIEVE
Fire in Jerusalem area neighborhood of Even Sapir (photo credit: Arik Abuluf/Jerusalem Fire and Rescue)
Fire in Jerusalem area neighborhood of Even Sapir
(photo credit: Arik Abuluf/Jerusalem Fire and Rescue)
Firefighters gained control of two fires that broke out on Wednesday afternoon, one in the eastern Carmel mountains, and the other just outside Jerusalem.
Police arrested four Palestinians from the West Bank that they found in the vicinity of the fire near Jerusalem, on suspicion of involvement in starting the blaze.
Five crews battled the fire in the North, located near the Jezreel Valley, with the assistance of three water-dropping planes.
Four firefighting aircraft and 20 teams of firefighters worked to put out the fire that broke out in Moshav Even Sapir near Jerusalem, setting fire to some 5 hectares (over 12 acres) of land.
In addition to area firefighters, students from the National Search and Rescue School were dispatched to assist in fighting the fire.
Thick smoke approached the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem, and hospital staff evacuated 80 percent of the hospital visitors. Hospital management also requested that cars in the underground parking lot and on the nearby road also be evacuated.
The Fire and Rescue Services evacuated moshav residents from their homes.
No injuries were reported in either fire.