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2025 Israel fires

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2025 Israel wildfires
Date(s)30 April 2025 – 3 May 2025
LocationIsrael and the West Bank, Palestine
Statistics
Burned area25,000+ dunams (25+ sq km; 9.6+ sq mi; 6,170+ acres)
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries45+
Evacuated10,000+
DamageTens of millions of shekels

On 30 April 2025, Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank experienced major fires in more than 100 different locations through the Judean Mountains area.[1] Israel has requested help extinguishing the fires from neighboring countries,[2] declared national emergency[1][3] and deployed IDF troops to help extinguish the fires.[3][4] Additionally, communities located about 30 kilometres (19 miles) west of Jerusalem,[5] including Neve Shalom, Beko’a, Ta’oz, Mevo Horon, Mishmar Ayalon and Nahshon have been evacuated,[6][7][8] and at least 45 people have been injured.[7][9]

TV footage showed fires along the highway and people abandoning their cars and running from the fires.[4][2] Additionally, the two main highways from and to Jerusalem, Highway 1 and Highway 3 were closed.[10]

The fires spread quickly within a few days, mostly through forests and areas west of Jerusalem, causing Israel to seek international aid.[citation needed]

Background

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Wildfires are a common phenomenon in the Jerusalem Mountains. Between 1987 and 2009, approximately 4,000 wildfire incidents occurred in the region, although most of them affected areas smaller than 100 dunams (0.1 sq km). According to estimates, a large wildfire, defined as one damaging at least 6,000 dunams, occurs on average once every 12 years, while fires affecting around 1,500 dunams occur approximately once every four years.[11] The last major wildfire in the area occurred in 2021.

After the major wildfires in California in January 2025, fire officials noted Israel's lack of manpower to handle a major wildfire, as their fire teams could only employ one firefighter for every 4,500 residents. A prior 2023 report from the Knesset Research and Information Center showed the lack of man power with only 123 fire stations with 150 needed and 2,400 firefighters with 3,366 required.[12][13]

In the days preceding the fire, the Israel Meteorological Service warned that the Jerusalem hills area was at severe risk of wildfires. As a precaution, the Israel Fire and Rescue Services deployed forces on standby and prohibited lighting fires in open areas, although other relevant agencies did not take similar measures.[14] A week earlier, on 23 April, at around 11:00 a.m., a wildfire broke out in the area causing the villages of Eshtaol, Mesilat Zion and Beit Meir to be evacuated and Highways 1, 38 and 44 were intermittently closed to traffic. Approximately 110 fire crews and 11 firefighting aircraft and a helicopter were operating.[15] The next day the fire was brought under control. Approximately 70 fire crews and 6 firefighting aircraft from the Elad Squadron were working to fight the fire. According to the Nature and Parks Authority, approximately 10,000 dunams burned.[16]

Fires

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On the morning of 30 April 2025, Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers (Yom HaZikaron), a wildfire broke out between Eshtaol and Latrun, in the outskirts of Jerusalem, and spread rapidly. Israeli authorities identified Neve Shalom as the epicenter of the fire and identified five other major points: Highway 3, Canada Park, Mesilat Zion, Harel, and Ramat Beit Shemesh.[17][18] According to Shmulik Friedman, the commander of the Jerusalem District of the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, a fire erupted near Mesalit Zion at approximately 9:30 a.m. and spread west due to strong winds before moving eastward. He also stated that the fires were possibly the largest in Israel's history and were far from containment. The Jewish National Fund estimated that around 11,700 dunams were burned by the fire, and Canada Park was almost entirely engulfed in flames.[19]

Footage on social media displayed thick smoke in the air along Highway 1, a key highway that connects Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.[20] At least nine people were rescued from their cars,[17] and many other drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.[21] Three empty cars and a truck caught on fire.[18] Fires also burned on a hillside near the city of Modi'in,[22] as well as around decommissioned tanks at the Yad La-Shiryon Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum in Latrun.[23] Flames were filmed approaching a Catholic monastery, although the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem stated that it was too early to assess if damage had occurred.[24] A military base was engulfed by fire, trapping soldiers.[25] Fires were later reported at open areas in Petah Tikva.[26]

Initially, winds as high as 40 miles per hour caused the fire to spread quickly.[27] Wind speeds were expected to increase to between 90 and 100 kilometers per hour later in the day.[19] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the fire was exacerbated by a "deadly combination" of dryness and strong winds.[28] He also warned that the winds "can push the fire easily towards the outskirts of [Jerusalem] – and even into the city itself".[22] High temperatures and extremely dry foliage following a mild winter contributed to its spread.[29] Many regions experienced temperatures between 36° and 39°C, while humidity dropped below 10%. Rain showers occurred in areas such as the western Negev desert, but overall rainfall was too insufficient to put out the fires.[30] Winds also gusted in excess of 95 km/h (60 mph), temporarily grounding firefighting aircraft.[31]

By approximately 5 p.m. (local time) the following day, five fire sectors were active. Seventy-six fire and rescue teams, reinforced by four firefighting aircraft and 40 ATVs, were operating at that time in the five sectors.[32] Later that day, on 6:22 p.m., the fire was declared under control.[33]

By the end of the day, firefighting crews were still working to contain a few smaller, controlled fire sectors, mainly in the Givat Washington area.[34] The wildfires came to an end on 2 May 2025, after burning more than 25,000 dunams in total.[citation needed] A day after, on 3 May 2025, another fire broke out in the Ben Shemen Forest area.[citation needed]

Emergency response

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By the evening of 30 April, 163 firefighting squads and 12 airplanes were deployed by the Fire and Rescue Services. The Home Front Command and Technological and Logistics Directorate dispatched over 50 fire engines, several search and rescue teams, and supplied more than 300,000 liters of water.[19] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used dozens of construction vehicles.[35]

Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the IDF, ordered the Israeli military to respond to the fires.[19] The Israeli Air Force dispatched several firefighting teams as well as four Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules heavy transport planes, which had dropped over 95 loads of fire retardant overnight. Unit 669, a search and rescue unit of the IAF, performed scans with helicopters and a Beechcraft King Air plane. Unit 9900 of the Military Intelligence Directorate mapped out the fires with aircraft and satellites.[35]

International assistance

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Following the fires, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar requested aid from several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia and Azerbaijan. Earlier, Israel formally requested assistance from Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria. Croatia and Italy sent three Canadair CL-415 firefighting airplanes.[36]

Romania declared that it would dispatch two aircraft. José Manuel Albares, the foreign minister of Spain, declared that his nation would send two firefighting aircraft, and France also announced its intention to send one. Other countries that expressed "willingness to assist" included Ecuador and Ukraine, while other countries volunteered to send helicopters. The Palestinian Authority volunteered to send firefighting squads around Jerusalem, however Israel did not respond to the request.[36]

Impact

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No serious injuries were reported,[37] but at least 18 people were hospitalized at Kaplan Medical Center and Shamir Medical Center due to smoke inhalation or burns, including two pregnant women and two infants aged one and six months. Most of those admitted to Shamir Medical Center were from the Latrun area. 10 other people were treated without hospitalization.[19] Hundreds of others were at risk, according to Magen David Adom.[38] At least 17 firefighters were injured, including two requiring hospitalization.[35] Authorities evacuated more than 7,000 residents in the area.[26]

Up to 10 communities in the vicinity were evacuated, including Neve Ilan, Shoresh, Nataf, Yad HaShmona, Eshtaol, and Mishmar Ayalon, while El'ad was partially evacuated.[19][39] All evacuated communities were allowed to return to their homes by the following day.[35] Highway 1, which connects Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, was closed to traffic, alongside Highway 3, Highway 424, Highway 444, and Highway 44. Trains between Jerusalem and Modi'in were suspended by Israel Railways, as were trains in the vicinity of Ashdod.[39][20]

IQAir reported that Jerusalem momentarily had the worst air quality in the world amid the fires.[40] By 1 May, the Jewish National Fund estimated that around 20,000 dunams were destroyed in the fires, with 13,000 of those being woodland.[35] No homes sustained damage, according to the Fire and Rescue Services.[41] Around 70% of Canada Park in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was destroyed, and the scale of destruction was compared to the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire that killed 44 people.[37] Latin Patriarchate spokesman Farid Jubran reported heavy damage to agricultural land and some buildings in Catholic communities in the area, but no damage to historic churches.[42]

Independence Day ceremonies were cancelled in several locations, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Modi'in, Beersheba, Mevaseret Zion, Lod, Ariel, Ma'ale Adumim, and Kiryat Ono. The annual torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl that marks the transition between Yom HaZikaron and Independence Day was cancelled as well, and footage from a general rehearsal of the event on 28 April was aired instead.[23] The Hostages and Missing Families Forum cancelled a planned rally in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, while Israeli singers Sarit Hadad and Pe'er Tasi postponed their performance in Ashkelon.[43]

Cause

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The cause of the fire is under investigation as of 1 May, with Jerusalem District Fire Commander Shmulik Friedman initially told reporters that they had no insight into the cause of the fires and were focusing on fighting and containing the fire.[44][45] Hebrew media reported that a preliminary assessment found that negligence by hikers was a likely cause, and according to Channel 13, more hikers than average had visited the Mesilat Zion area, where the fire started, in the hours preceding it.[46] The "climate crisis" was also attributed as the cause by some, such as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and former lawmaker Dov Khenin.[47]

Allegations of arson

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In the evening of April 30, Israeli officials alleged that several Palestinians were arrested on suspicion of attempted arson,[48][49] one of which was caught with lighter, cotton wool and other flammable materials.[50] The same day of the fires, a Telegram channel associated with Hamas urged Palestinians to set fire to "fields, forests, and settlers' homes."[51][52][53]

On May 1, Netanyahu raised claims that 18 suspects had been detained in connection to the start of the wildfires. This was later scaled back by police sources to only three suspects detained with one already being in detention and his time extended.[54][55]

Reactions

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog thanked all fire fighting efforts and connected the wildfire with the climate crisis, stating that the fire and climate change requires the population to prepare for challenges and to make decisions and legislation to combat the changes.[56] Israel National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who also oversees the Israeli fire department publicly accused Palestinian's for setting the fire and called for their execution.[44]

Dov Ganem, the chairman of the Israel Fire and Air Rescue Association raised claims to Walla reporters that he had been raising concerns about the lack of preparedness for wildfires for almost twenty years but had been met with indifference from politicians.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Massive Wildfires Near Jerusalem Prompt Israel to Declare Emergency". 23 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Firefighters battle to extinguish massive fires across Jerusalem area - watch". The Jerusalem Post. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Israel deploys troops to control massive wildfires near Jerusalem". France 24. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b scheer, steven (30 April 2025). "Israeli wildfires force evacuations, road closures on Memorial Day". Reuters. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Israel police close roads, evacuate residents as fires spread near Jerusalem". The Times of India. 30 April 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Israeli wildfires force evacuations, road closures on Memorial Day". The Straits Times. 30 April 2025. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
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  8. ^ "Wildfire spreads around Jerusalem as Israel asks Italy, Greece for help - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  9. ^ Tamari, Liran; Turgeman, Meir (30 April 2025). "Drivers trapped in cars, others escape on foot as flames engulf main Jerusalem highway | dramatic images". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  10. ^
  11. ^ (Hebrew) - https://deshe.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/jerusalem_small.pdf#page=318 Archived 19 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine
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  13. ^ Hasson, Nir (1 May 2025). "Analysis | The Jerusalem Wildfires Are No Surprise, but Israel Ignored All Warnings". Haaretz. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  14. ^ Hasson, Nir (1 May 2025). "The Jerusalem Wildfires Are No Surprise, but Israel Ignored All Warnings". Haaretz. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
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  24. ^ Hazboun, Ibrahim; Becatoros, Elena (30 April 2025). "A wildfire closes main highway linking Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and sends 12 people to the hospital". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  25. ^ "Massive Fires Trap Soldiers at Israeli Military Base". Iran Press. 30 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
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  28. ^ Boxerman, Aaron (30 April 2025). "Wildfires in Israel Force Towns Near Jerusalem to Evacuate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
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  32. ^ (Hebrew, N12) - https://mobile.mako.co.il/news-israel/2025_q2/Article-0865bd3210c8691026.htm?pId=173113802&main_article=2
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  34. ^ ללוצאשווילי, ליזה (1 May 2025). "לוחמי האש מאשדוד וגן יבנה הוזעקו לשריפת האנגר חקלאי בגבעת וושינגטון". חדשות אפס שמונה 08 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 3 May 2025.
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  44. ^ a b Faouzi, Adil (30 April 2025). "Israel Helpless Against Wildfires, Rushes to Blame 'Terrorism'". Morocco World News. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
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  51. ^ "ARRESTS MADE: Arab Caught Red-Handed Starting Fire In J-m Amid Hamas Calls To Commit Arson [PHOTOS]". The Yeshiva World. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
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  56. ^ "Herzog says fires are part of 'climate crisis' that must be addressed". www.timesofisrael.com. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
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