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Massive Brush Fires Rage in Jerusalem Area and the North

At least eleven areas of Israel from the hills surrounding Jerusalem to the northern hills around the port city of Haifa are being consumed by wildfires. Teams of firefighters that have been battling the blazes for the past four days are awaiting the arrival of firefighter aircraft from Greece and Croatia pursuant to a request from Prime Minister Netanyahu. Near the capital, residents of the city of Modiā€™in were told to stay inside to avoid the thick smoke filling the air while a number of homes were lost to the fires. In the north, the historic city of Zichron Yaakov was on lockdown as the intense blazes destroyed several homes. The weather is not expected to cooperate on Thursday as windy conditions that fuel the fires are expected to continue. In 2010, a bus was overtaken by flames resulting in the deaths of 40 a similar fire in the forests south of Haifa.