Motzei Shabbos Fire News Briefs From Eretz Yisrael

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 11/26/16 | News Source: YWN

• Reshet Bet Radio reporting the area burned in the Nachal Kefira Jerusalem Hills area is larger than in the Carmel fire six years ago, 28,000 duman (7,000 acres).
• Jim Wheeler, President and CEO of Global SuperTanker Services, said that after sending their employees home for Thanksgiving he received a call from the Israeli government requesting the services of the 19,600-gallon air tanker. Scrambling to get the 12 personnel back to Colorado Springs who would be making the trip, the contingent departed at about 10PM MST on Thursday, November 24. The flight to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv should take a planned 12.5 hours cruising at 550 mph. Mr. Wheeler said it flew non-stop with six hours to spare.
• A fire in Maale Adumim due to electrical short circuit, not terror.
• At least 50 suspected Arab arson terrorists were taken into custody over Shabbos by police, the IDF and Shin Bet.
• PM Netanyahu announces motzei Shabbos the weekly cabinet meeting will be held on Sunday, 26 Cheshvan in Haifa in light of the fire situation in the city.
• 29 firefighting planes were operating over Israel combat fires in different areas.
• Persons who are homeless due to fires are more of less compelled to make their own arrangements. Social services in local areas are working to assist when possible.
• Soldiers serving in Yehuda and Shomron were summoned back to their bases after Shabbos to begin working to track down arson terrorists.
• Romeima neighborhood of Haifa hit the hardest of the 12 neighborhoods damaged by the fires.
• It appears even if fires the result of Arab arson, it was not an organized effort but persons acting on their own, aware the heavy winds and dry conditions presented an opportunity.
• KKL says 4715 acres of land have been destroyed this week, worst since Carmel fire.
• Haifa University to resume a regular schedule on Sunday, 26 Cheshvan.
• IDF soldiers found a pile of tires near Um Rehan in the Shomron were a brush fire started earlier. It appears the tires were intended to feed the blaze.