A fire which broke out Wednesday afternoon west of Jerusalem has forced residents of a Jerusalem-area town to evacuate their homes.
Authorities say ten firefighting teams, aided by air units from the Elad Aerial Firefighting Unit, have been dispatched to combat a blaze which broke out next to Mevasseret Tzion, just west of Jerusalem.
The fire began in a valley next to Hashoshana Street in Mevasseret Tzion, but quickly spread, due in part to strong winds, as well as unseasonably dry weather.
Police units have also been dispatched to the area to evacuate residents from the threatened areas.
A second fire has also been reported near the youth village of Shefya, on the northern edge of the coastal plain, near Haifa.
The fire has prompted evacuations in Shefya and Zichron Yaakov, just southwest of Shefya.