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Israel on fire: Counting cost of a nationwide inferno

December 1, 2016 11:56
Firefighters at work in Haifa

By

Anshel Pfeffer,

Anshel Pfeffer

1 min read

Over 32,000 acres of land and nearly 600 homes were ravaged in the blazes that burned across Israel for eight days.

The fires, which had mostly died down by Saturday night, were exacerbated by a prolonged dry season and strong winds, although in some cases arsonists were responsible.

The worst damage was in Haifa, where 527 homes and apartments were destroyed. Houses were also burned down in nearby Zichron Yaakov, in the village of Bet Meir in the Jerusalem hills, and in the settlement of Halamish in the West Bank.

Around 180 casualties were treated as a result of the fires. Most were suffering from light injuries, with the exception of an elderly woman who was in severe condition after inhaling smoke from a blaze near Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem.

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