A large wildfire in the Jerusalem Hills fanned by strong winds and dry conditions forced authorities to cancel for the first time Israel’s traditional Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony. Several communities were evacuated and firefighting crews were deployed to battle the blaze, according to The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL).
“Unfortunately, as the hours pass, the weather forecast for Mount Herzl during the hours of the ceremony does not allow for the ceremony to take place,” said Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety Miri Regev, who is in charge of organizing the ceremony.
“The engineers in charge of safety have made it clear to me that this is a weight of extreme winds with the potential for significant winds that may lead to significant damage to safety and a risk to human life,” she said, adding that a rehearsal of the ceremony that took place on Monday will be aired instead.
The nationally televised ceremony at Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery at sundown traditionally marks the transition from the somber Remembrance Day to the joy of Independence Day. The torch-lighting has been part of Independence Day celebrations since 1949. COVID restrictions forced organizers to pre-record the event without a live audience in 2020.
In the Jerusalem Hills, residents of Neve Shalom, Latrun, Nachshon, Beko’a, Ta’oz and Kibbutz Harel were evacuated while Highway 3 was closed from Latrun to the Nachshon junction. The Fire and Rescue Service said that 119 firefighting teams, 11 planes, and four helicopters have been mobilized so far.
Nine people were rescued from vehicles trapped in heavy smoke at the Latrun interchange, where three cars and a truck caught fire. Several, including two infants, are being treated for smoke inhalation, with United Hatzalah ambulances assisting.
“The evacuation is being carried out against the backdrop of complex terrain conditions, including strong winds and an active fire that threatens to spread towards populated areas,” the Fire and Rescue Department said.
The fire also forced the cancellation of a smaller Independence Day ceremony at the Latrun Memorial and Monastery.
In addition to the main fire near Neve Shalom, new fires have broken out around a neighborhood of Beit Shemesh.
“Strong winds are contributing to the rapid spread of the fire,” a Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said.
The Nature and Parks Authority has evacuated hikers from multiple reserves, including the Kfira, Maserak, Nahal Sorek, and Dolev Nature Reserves, as well as Dekel Lookout and the Mehal parking lot on Burma Road East.
“Hikers in these areas and in the Judean Mountains National Park are asked to leave immediately,” the Authority urged, adding that the Khan Shaar Hagai National Heritage Site has also been closed.
This latest crisis comes just a week after major fires burned more than 10,000 dunams (10 sq. km) of forest land in the Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem Hills areas, including Eshtaol, Beit Meir, Mesilat Zion, and Shaar Hagai. Those fires, which lasted more than 21 hours, required more than 110 firefighting teams and eight planes to contain. Three firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation and were treated for minor injuries.
Despite the intensity of both fires, authorities stressed that there is no indication of arson or negligence.
