Sunday, 15 August 2021 (YJC)_ The wildfires in the Jerusalem hills is the largest fire in the area in the last few years.
A massive wildfire erupted outside Jerusalem, burning down hundreds of acres of forestry and endangering nearby communities. High temperatures and high winds helped the fire spread fast to the west of Israel's capital.
"This is maybe the biggest fire in the last few years in the Jerusalem hills," said the Jerusalem District Fire Commander, Nissim Toito.
"Everything is black, there is no green," a Shoeva resident told Walla. "It's heartbreaking."
The fire reached the outskirts of the Eitanim Medical Center, a psychiatric facility in the Jerusalem Hills, and all the patients were evacuated successfully by vehicle, according to Kan radio.
According to Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev, three people from the hospital went missing. Two of them were found soon after, while the last remained unfound, but forces say they are not worried for his life.
More than 2,000 residents from Beit Meir, Ksalon, Ramat Raziel and Givat Ye'arim were evacuated from their homes, some of which caught on fire.
Some residents from Ramat Raziel and Givat Ye'arim were allowed to return home.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told security forces that if they were in doubt about whether evacuation is necessary, it should be done without question.
Some people were treated for smoke inhalation but were not hospitalized.
Twelve firefighting planes were working in an attempt to stop the spread together with firefighters on the ground.
Bennett cut short a Security Cabinet meeting for consultations on the wildfires.
Following the consultations, he called a meeting with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, the chief of police and of fire and rescue services, and others.
Gantz ordered IDF to assist with the efforts to extinguish the fire. The homefront's national operations room has been opened in order to coordinate between the different security forces.
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