JERUSALEM, Israel — Firefighters for Israel don dey fight serious wildfires wey don start Wednesday around Jerusalem, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare national emergency. The fires don cause evacuation for several towns, and strong winds plus dry conditions don make am worse.
Up to 155 firefighting teams dey active, with some backed by firefighting airplanes, to contain the blaze wey don affect over 20,000 dunams (5,000 acres) of forest land, according to Israeli Fire and Rescue Service.
“At this time, we have not yet managed to control the fires,” the agency talk in a statement. They don report say at least 17 firefighters don sustain injuries, and some don need transfer to hospital for further treatment.
Shoresh recreational area, Canada-Ayalon Park, and Kula Forest dey under strict warning as the authorities tell residents make dem no enter forest and parks due to the risk of reignition.
As we speak, seven towns still dey evacuated, and thousands of residents don leave their homes as the wildfires dey spread between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, trapping many cars and forcing drivers to waka across the road to escape dhib flames.
“The situation is critical, we dey call for help from other countries to assist us in this fight,” Netanyahu mention. Reports show say countries like France, Croatia, and Italy don agree send planes to help with the firefighting operations.
Public celebrations for Israel Independence Day don cancel as communities deal with this environmental disaster. The Magen David Adom ambulance service don treat about 23 people, mostly for smoke inhalation and burns since the crisis start.
