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International crews help Israel fight forest fire

04 December 2010 03:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. International firefighting teams were on Friday helping Israel battle a huge forest fire close to the port city of Haifa that has killed at least 42 people and forced mass evacuations, APA reports quoting â€œReutersâ€.
European planes and helicopters repeatedly swooped over the Israeli woodland, dumping tones of sea water onto the flames, but officials conceded that the blaze was still out of control more than 24 hours after it started.
The largest fire in Israel’s history scorched more than 7,000 acres of drought-afflicted land, destroyed houses and revealed dramatic shortcomings in the country’s ability to tackle such an emergency.
The blaze took hold on Thursday morning and Israel launched an international appeal for help just hours later when it became apparent its own ill-equipped fire service could not cope.
At least 16 countries swiftly heeded the call, including Turkey, which set aside recent diplomatic rows to send two firefighting planes.
"I think this symbolizes an unprecedented response to our request for international help," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after chairing an emergency meeting of his cabinet in Tel Aviv.
The prime minister took time out of the rescue operation to thank his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan for sending help. It was believed to be the first time the pair had spoken in person since Netanyahu took office 18 months ago.
Once-solid relations with Turkey have turned sour in recent months, hitting a low point in May when 9 Turkish activists died after Israeli commandos stormed their boat that had been seeking to beat an Israeli no-go zone and enter the Gaza Strip.
"I told Erdogan that we appreciate the major efforts during this time and I am sure that this will be a gateway to improving relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.
FUNERALS
Fire service spokesman Shahar Perry said fire crews were operating on five fronts, with 20 planes operating and bigger aircraft on the way. "We cannot estimate yet how long the firefighting efforts will continue," he said.
The blaze was visible from the Mediterranean shore during the day and authorities told Haifa residents to shut their doors and windows to keep out the thick smoke.
Police also ordered the evacuation of 17,000 people from the Carmel Ridge, where the fire was focused, forcibly removing some locals who refused to leave their property.
Most of the victims were prison service officer trainees, who died on Thursday when their bus was engulfed in flames as they headed toward a prison to help evacuate 500 inmates.
The first of the dead, many of them young men and women, were buried on Friday, Israeli flags draped over their coffins.
As the fire progressed, fanned by strong easterly winds, there was barely concealed fury that so many people should have died in a country that spends billions of dollars a year on weaponry but significantly less on its emergency services.
"What would we have done if faced with dozens and hundreds of missiles that might have ignited fires in several areas, including urban areas with multi-story buildings?" said top-selling Israeli daily, Yedioth Ahronoth.
Netanyahu said plans would be presented to the government in the coming week to buy fire-fighting aircraft.
Some Israeli newspapers speculated that the fire might have been started deliberately, and one suggested it might prove to be the "worst terror attack" in Israel’s history.
There was no official word on why the fire took hold.