Jerusalem-area Wildfires Contained More Than 24 Hours After They Broke Out
May 1, 2025. Nir Hasson Aaron Rabinowitz Jonathan Lis Liza Rozovsky Yifat Reuven
It was estimated that approximately 20,000 dunams (about 5,000 acres) have burned in what is being called one of the largest wildfires in the country’s history
Israel Fire and Rescue Services announced on Thursday evening that it has managed to contain the fire that broke out in the Jerusalem area on Wednesday.
Fire Commissioner Eyal Casspi announced that a few firefighting crews will remain in the area to ensure the fire doesn’t reignite. The Jewish National Fund estimated Wednesday that approximately 20,000 dunams (about 5,000 acres) have burned in what is being called one of the largest wildfires in the country’s history.
Fire authorities added that an investigation has been opened in order to determine the cause of the fire, with the preliminary estimate pointing to negligence by hikers.
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The fire raged through the Jerusalem area since Wednesday and remained uncontained through Thursday morning, with 93 firefighting teams battling seven fires.
Earlier, fire officials said that eight firefighting aircraft from Cyprus and Italy were expected to arrive throughout the day to assist suppression efforts. Additionally, two firefighting aircraft from France were also sent, according to a French diplomat.
The regional council in the fire-affected area announced that all evacuated residents are permitted to return home, and police said all roads previously closed due to the fires have since reopened to traffic. Nature reserves within the council’s jurisdiction, however, remain off-limits.
According to the JNF, most of the Canada Forest was destroyed, and the Eshtaol Forest sustained severe damage.
President Isaac Herzog said at an Independence Day ceremony that the wildfire is “part of a climate crisis that we must not ignore, which requires us to prepare for major and significant challenges and to make decisions, including legislation, accordingly.”
The fire began Wednesday afternoon in the Eshtaol Forest, between Mesilat Tzion and Neve Shalom, and quickly spread west, forcing the evacuation of ten communities. Some residents have since been allowed to return home, while police continue patrolling evacuated areas to prevent looting.
Later Wednesday, fire and rescue services announced that all Independence Day events requiring a firefighter presence were canceled to redirect personnel to the ongoing emergency.
Romania, France, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Ukraine and France announced they would send firefighting aircraft to assist. However, a source within the fire service said the international assistance is not expected to be especially significant, as by the time it arrives, the spread of the fire is expected to have already been contained.
‘Everyone Left Their Cars, I Grabbed My Son and Ran’: Israelis Near Wildfires Recount Chaos
Josh Breiner Nir Hasson. Apr 30, 2025
A massive fire that broke out on Wednesday near Jerusalem led to the evacuation of several communities in the area and thousands of Israelis.
One of the communities forced to evacuate was Neve Shalom, a unique social expirement in Israel. Neve Shalom, also known as Wahat as-Salam (Oasis of Peace), is home to about 70 families – equally divided between Arabs and Jews.
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“We smelled fire and WhatsApp slowly began filling up with [messages] that there is a fire and a lot of smoke,” said Nader Bagdasar, resident of Neve Shalom. “Half an hour later, there were sirens calling to evacuate the community. I was alone, and my wife woke up the kids,” he told Haaretz. “A bit of clothes, a laptop, an iPad – and we headed here right away. Three kids.”
“They evacuated us before, but this time it seems very serious,” he shared. “I’m very worried about our home and property, but the most important thing is that no one has been hurt.”
Bagdasar continued, “Tonight, I have no idea what we’ll do, we’re checking. We don’t know yet. It feels like war. We’re worried on one hand, but on the other, everyone’s together, helping one another.”
Eldad Yafeh, who also lives in Wahat as-Salam, shared: “The fire is spreading quickly, maybe two kilometers [1.24 miles] in half an hour. We smelled the smoke, went outside to look, and the fire had already reached us.”
According to him, the fire got very close to the settlement, but firefighters have managed to prevent it from reaching the yards. The nearby forest is burning.
The fire in the Eshtaol Forest, near Neve Shalom, began around 10:00 A.M. and has since spread to many areas near Jerusalem. Several communities in the region have been evacuated, and many roads in central Israel have been blocked, including the Jeursalem-Tel Aviv highway in both directions.
Fire and Rescue Commissioner Eyal Caspi stated that the fires in central Israel are expected to continue for at least another day, adding that “the spread of the fire is very significant.” Caspi also mentioned that, due to the heavy haze, air support has not been able to assist with the firefighting efforts.
Orna Sharon, from Kibbutz Nahshon, which lies halfway between Jerusalem and the Center, described how the kibbutz members were evacuated in the middle of the Hatikvah song, marking the end of Memorial Day. “From that moment, we had very little time. We managed to organize as best we could,” she said.
“I’m 68, and we’ve never experienced anything like this at the kibbutz. Some of us took buses, others used private cars. The entire settlement was evacuated,” she added. “At one point, police officers started going house to house. The way they handled the situation – they deserve respect.
“I was in the kibbutz daycare with the kids, and at 11:15 A.M. [the kibbutz] told [people] to come get the children because there were concerns,” says Yael Shani, a kindergarten teacher in Kibbutz Nahshon,
“I waited until every last parent came. There were 15 kids aged 3-4. Fifteen minutes after the [memorial] siren, we calmed them down. They weren’t stressed, but we could smell it in the air,” she added.
“I saw the flames from Neve Shalom from my balcony,” said Tami Yoav, an artist and kibbutz member. “The flames [were] very large and we realized we had to evacuate. I couldn’t believe it.”
Yoav says she fears for her artwork, saying, “I don’t know what I’ll do if they burn. I’m a professional painter, and there are hundreds of
paintings in the house, so I took 15 paintings, shoved them in the shelter, and locked it for whatever scenario. I took my computer and left. All the pictures are there.”
The fires also reached the highway, which was closed to traffic, leaving drivers trapped in their vehicles. Maha Hassouna, a driver heading towards Jerusalem, shared that she saw the smoke but thought it was far away, not realizing it was dangerous.
“Suddenly everything turned gray, and then we saw the fire very close,” she said. “Everyone abandoned their cars and started running. I took my two-year-old son and ran maybe two kilometers to the turnoff to Modi’in.”
Hassouna added that she was seven months pregnant, “but people helped me, someone gave me a ride to Modi’in. It was very stressful. My car is still there; I don’t know what will happen to it.”
The Latrun Trappist Monastery was also evacuated after the fire got close. “They evacuated us from the monastery at 1:00 P.M. because the fire was really nearby, and there’s still fire,” said Father Louis from the monastery, adding that while the fire did not damage the building itself, it caused significant damage to the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, another nearby monastery named the Emmaus monastery sustained heavy damage, as two buildings used for accommodation, a big warehouse and the monastery garden were entirely destroyed by the fire. Firefighters did manage to protect the main building of the monastery, which houses the church. Ten monks and nuns reside in the Emmaus monastery.
“Around 12 P.M., we heard they’re evacuating Latrun monastery, then we saw that the fire is reaching the monastery walls from the Canda Park direction, and we were also told we should evacuate,” said the abbot, Father Anton. “The fire flew above the walls. We left the Monastary to Kibbutz Gezer, where there’s a reform Jewish community who are our friends.”
Father Anton returned to the monastery in the evening and discovered the damage done to the compound. He and another monk spent the evening trying to battle fires still burning around the monastery. He said he called the fire services and asked for help, but was told that there is no risk of containment and that firefighters are busy elsewhere.
The problem, as Father Anton describes it, is that their water was shut down, making their efforts struggle. The damage done to Emmaus monastery is unique, as though the fire is one of the biggest in Israel’s history, the fire services have succeeded in protecting all civilian settlements and blocking the fire from entering. This is the only known example of mass destruction of property.