Carmel Fire Disaster

UPDATE

Finally the Carmel fire is out!!!!

Israel held a ceremony to thank firefighters from neighboring countries, Europe and the U.S. for helping extinguish the Carmel Hills fire. (Photo: Israel Defense Forces from THE ISRAEL PROJECT)

Sadly, after a 4 day valiant struggle between life and death, Ahuva Tomer, firechief of Haifa, has succumbed to her wounds and passed away. May she rest in peace.

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In Ashkelon and all over Israel it has not been a happy Hannukah 2010.

Hannukah events have been cancelled and everyone has been glued to their TV sets this weekend watching the disaster unfold. All 3 TV networks have been broadcasting round-the-clock coverage, pre-empting all their regularly scheduled shows, something like this is usually only done during a war

The Carmel fire has been the deadliest wildfire Israel has ever known. The fire, which has been raging since Thursday, killed 42 people and destroyed nearly 50,000 dunams of land in the Carmel region, along with homes, entire villages, animals, and natural habitat. 17,000 people were evacuated from their homes.

Among the 41 people who died were a young volunteer fire-fighter aged 16 and two prison service cadets from Ashkelon: Tanya Lansky (23 yrs old) and Ronen Peretz (aged 34 and father of two young children aged 3, 6).

There are many injured in hospital, some of them very badly burnt, among them Ahuva Tomer, chief of Haifa police.

Israel has received assistance from many neighboring countries as well as the US.

Thank you everyone for your phonecalls and support.

(photos from ynet)