About 3,100 Israeli families – about 10,000 people – were evacuated from their homes on erev Simchas Torah in the wake of numerous wildfires caused by an intense heatwave in Israel and surrounding countries.

The majority of the evacuees were residents of the city of Nof Hagalil in northern Israel but fires broke out as well in the areas of the Shomron, Hadera, and Modiin. There were about 250 fires throughout Israel, including 13 very large fires, according to Fire and Rescue Commissioner Dedi Simchi.

Most of the residents were allowed to return to their homes by Motzei Shabbos but sadly dozens of residents had no home to return to. About 20 homes in Nof Hagalil were completely burned as well as several homes in the town of Kfar HaOranim near Modiin.

An investigation has been opened into the source of fires with many believed to be a result of arson, especially those in the Shomron.

The wildfires were widespread in the Middle East region, affecting not only Israel but Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority as well.

One of the hardest-hit countries was war-torn Syria where fires have killed three people and left dozens suffering from breathing problems over the past two days. The wildfires also burnt wide areas of forests, mostly in the central province of Homs and the coastal province of Latakia.

With firefighters overwhelmed, some residents helped them using primitive methods such as carrying water in buckets and pouring them on the fire.

On Saturday, special rain prayers were held in mosques around different parts of Syria imploring God to send rain to ease drought and stop the fires.

Director of the Forestry Department in Latakia Agricultural Department, Bassem Douba, was quoted as saying by state news agency, SANA, that the number of fires reached 85 in different sites.

Also in Latakia province, fires in President Bashar Assad’s hometown of Qardaha heavily damaged a building used as a storage for the state-owned tobacco company, part of which collapsed.

In Lebanon, firefighters backed by army helicopters fought fires in the country’s north, center and south. A big fire in the southern village of Bater burnt hundreds of pine trees and was getting close to homes when it was put under control.

Along the border with Israel, fires were reported by Lebanon’s state news agency in several villages, some of them triggering explosions of land mines placed along the heavily-guarded front.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem & AP)