Two massive fires broke out Wednesday in the Judea and Samaria, mobilizing firefighters and volunteers across multiple locations. The first fire erupted near the Shomronim neighborhood close to Har Bracha, and the second near the Ein Sukot spring in the Jordan Valley.
At Har Bracha, nine teams are working three separate fronts. In the first sector, flames spread toward Mitzpe Yosef and a nearby outpost, where firefighters managed to stop the fire’s advance. In the second sector, near a grain mill, crews established a containment line and evacuated nearby vehicles to prevent them from catching fire.
The third sector is close to residential homes, though no immediate danger currently exists. Meanwhile, six firefighting teams were dispatched to the developing fire near the Ein Sukot spring in the Jordan Valley, where challenging terrain is hampering firefighting operations.
Earlier Wednesday, firefighters from the Binyamin district battled another fire that broke out near the town of Kochav Hashachar, in the grazing lands of the “Ma’ale Ahuvia” farm. Firefighting teams worked alongside farmers from nearby farms and gained full control of the incident.
The investigations branch of Israel Fire and Rescue Services’ Judea and Samaria district determined that in both fires—the one at Har Bracha and the one at Kochav Hashachar—there is real suspicion of deliberate arson. The circumstances of the incidents are under investigation.