Dozens of Fire Crews and Six Planes Fight Forest Blaze in Jerusalem Hills

Dozens of firefighting teams and six aircraft are working to contain a forest fire that broke out in the Jerusalem Hills. The blaze began in the Nahal Dolev area, on the ascent from Beit Shemesh toward Nes Harim, and firefighters from the Jerusalem District are being assisted by crews from nearby districts after the 102 emergency center received the first reports.

Because of the scale of the incident and the need for a major operational response, cross-district support was activated. Fire and Rescue officials said the fire is burning in difficult, hard-to-reach terrain, and teams are operating from several directions to stop the flames from spreading toward nearby communities and residential areas.

Alongside the ground crews, six firefighting planes from the air firefighting squadron "Elad" are operating at the scene, and a police helicopter was also dispatched. Fire officials urged the public to stay away from the area.