The spokesman for the National Fire and Rescue Service, Yoram Levi, told Arutz Sheva about how the fire squads are coping with the spate of wildfires which have broken out around the country.
Levi said that "sometimes even after we manage to control a fire it is reignited as occurred in Zichron Yaakov last night. The situation at present is calmer but we are in a state of high alert. Ten fire squads from the Jerusalem and Bet Shemesh stations assisted by four fire extinguishing aircraft are attending to the fire in the Nataf community in the Jerusalem hills."
Levi added that "There were a number of other locations such as Kfar Veradim which are now under control. We anticipate more problems because the weather forecast does not improve until Friday. The winds are the main source of the problem."
Levi did not rule out arson as a possible cause of fires. "This is always a possibility. The investigation of the Zichron Yaakov wildfire has not yet begun, the fire has not yet been extinguished and investigators have not entered the area. There is evidence from last week's fire in Tal El in the Galilee that it was an act of arson.
Regarding yesterday's fire in the Latrun area evidence points to negligence as the cause of the conflagration. The sequence of fires is not unusual considering the high winds. Every small thing, every welding job, every logfire, every act of igniting fire can spread very fast. Everything will be investigated but we have not finished yet," concluded Levi.