Jerusalem fire under control

Israel: Israeli firefighters brought a forest fire in Jerusalem under control on Sunday after the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum was evacuated as a precaution, a police spokesman said.

“The fire has been brought totally under control but the fire service is continuing to work on the ground to make sure it doesn’t restart,” Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.

The blaze had started at three different points, “which could mean it was deliberate,” he said, adding that police and the fire service were investigating the cause. Six people were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Thick grey smoke earlier billowed up through the forested hills on Jerusalem’s southwestern flank as firefighters battled the blaze and diving aircraft were used to douse the flames, an AFP photographer said.

“We have evacuated all the workers and tourists from Yad Vashem,” police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. A Yad Vashem spokeswoman said some staff stayed behind to try to protect the trove of irreplaceable artefacts.

Jerusalem, Monday, AFP