Wildfires force evacuations near Tel Aviv, destroy buildings amid heatwave

Wildfires erupted Thursday in Ness Ziona near Tel Aviv in central Israel, driven by soaring temperatures that prompted evacuations, Israeli Army Radio reported, Anadolu reports.

The fire started in an open forested area before rapidly spreading to residential neighborhoods, burning at least three buildings, it said.

Residents were evacuated from homes closest to the epicenter of the fire as 21 firefighting units worked to control the blaze and prevent it from reaching more houses.

No injuries were reported as of 5.05 pm UTC, Israeli Army Radio reported.

An Anadolu correspondent reported that the cause of the fires remains unknown, but Israel experienced a significant temperature spike to 34 degrees Celsius (93°F) on Thursday.

Ness Ziona in Israel’s coastal plain, and surrounded by grassy and agricultural areas, is prone to wildfires during dry, hot periods due to highly flammable dry vegetation.

Massive wildfires in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv injured 21 people in May, and consumed 20,000 dunams (4,940 acres) of forested land, requiring 31 hours to contain.

Those fires, the largest in years, forced the evacuation of 10 towns and illegal settlements, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds.

Subsequent smaller fires across Israel caused property damage but no further injuries.