Israel’s Fire and Rescue Commissioner, Chief Fire Officer Eyal Caspi, has signed an emergency order banning the lighting of bonfires and open fires across the country due to extreme weather conditions that significantly increase the risk of wildfires.
The order takes effect Thursday and will remain in force until Saturday, May 18, including and affecting the Lag Ba’omer holiday. The ban applies to all open areas and includes bonfires, burning of vegetation and trimmings, and any technical work that may cause ignition.
The Fire and Rescue Authority emphasized that the coming days are expected to bring heatwave conditions posing a serious risk that fires will ignite and spread, particularly in open areas, forests, and woodlands.
The ban does not apply to fire use in designated cooking facilities, such as barbecues, or in areas specifically prepared and approved for this purpose by local authorities, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, or Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL), and which have received authorization from the Fire and Rescue Authority.
Authorities urged the public to act responsibly and avoid discarding flammable waste — especially coal, cigarettes, and other combustible materials — in open areas.