Fire in the Southern Hebron Hills: Blaze Contained
Firefighting teams reported a wide line of fire near the settlement of Afeka, which was spreading toward residential homes due to wind. Police from the Judea District are assisting with site security and traffic control, while fire crews and aerial support work to extinguish the blaze.
A fire broke out today, Wednesday, near the settlement of Afeka in the southern Hebron Hills. The first teams to arrive at the scene reported a wide line of fire in the woodland adjacent to the settlement, which was moving under the influence of winds toward residential homes. Control of the fire was achieved several hours after the start of operations.
Upon assessing the situation, numerous teams were dispatched, including volunteers, local farmers, and crews from neighboring districts. Given the danger to homes, it was decided to scramble firefighting aircraft from the "Elad" squadron. Teams operated on several fronts and successfully halted the fire's spread.
Deputy Chief Tamir Erez, commander of the Judea regional station, stated:
"A fast and powerful response prevented the spread of the fire to the residents' homes. I performed a risk analysis at the start of the incident, resulting in the dispatch of significant forces."
He added that operations were conducted in cooperation with all security agencies and the Judea District Police under the command of Chief Superintendent Eliyahu Zaitoun, who praised the deployment and coordination that led to the containment of the incident without casualties.
Chief Superintendent Eliyahu Zaitoun held a situational assessment at the scene with the Judea District Fire and Rescue commander, a Magen David Adom representative, and the settlement's security officer. Following the assessment, he ordered continued deployment at the perimeter until the completion of operations to ensure residents could return home safely.
Fire and Rescue Major Liran Ben Harosh, shift commander, noted:
"This fire could have reached the settlement's homes due to the proximity to the woodland. I ordered the scrambling of "Elad" squadron aircraft and the dispatch of additional teams to the scene."
