Blazes break out in northern Israel after cross-border attacks from Lebanon | CNN

CNN
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Large fires broke out in northern Israel overnight, Israeli police said early Tuesday, attributing the blazes to rocket fire from southern Lebanon.

The flames consumed some 4,000 dunams (1,000 acres or 400 hectares) of the northern region, chief of the Tiberias fire station Boris Eisenberg said. Israel Fire and Rescue Services said 18 firefighting teams, including an air firefighting squadron, had been deployed, working through the night.

On Tuesday, Israel Fire and Rescue Services in the north of the country were dealing with two focal points. In one area, the blaze continued due to the weather conditions. Another blaze firefighters were dealing with was in the Biriya Forest in the Upper Galilee area, caused by a falling Israeli interceptor missile, spokesperson Uri Cohen told CNN. “We saw the interception and responded with increased forces and high intensity, we are operating on the spot and trying to contain the fire,” he said.

“We are dealing with extreme weather conditions, changing winds, high dryness with low humidity, high temperature. All these conditions together accelerate the development of the fire,” Cohen said.

It’s unclear how long it will take to contain the fire, he said, adding that on Monday the blaze lasted many hours, resulting in a very “complex extinguishing effort.”

“At the moment we are operating at high intensity on the ground, also from the air, in efforts to contain the fires and bring them under control,” he said.

Authorities began evacuating residents as fires broke out at noon local time on Monday in the mountainous Galilee region, Israeli police said. Israeli police said they helped to evacuate homes in Kiryat Shmona, a northern city near the Lebanese border.

The blazes came after authorities warned the public Monday that a heatwave was expected and cautioned against lighting fires in forests.

Lebanon-based Islamist group Hezbollah said Monday that it launched a “swarm of drones” at an Israeli military command center in the Galilee, causing fires in the building. The group said they were a response to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah forces as well as homes in southern Lebanon, adding that three Hezbollah fighters were killed on Monday.

Thousands of Israeli residents have been displaced after cross-border hostilities began between Hezbollah and the Israeli military in October. The Lebanese group said its attacks on northern Israel were in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.