On Saturday evening Greece sent a second dispatch of firefighters to Israel to help control a massive wildfire. A C-130 military helicopter departed from the Elefsina military airport carrying a team of 36 firefighters and equipment to help contain the blaze.
By the afternoon the fire had claimed 41 lives and destroyed 40 kilometres of land and consumed over one million trees. The fire is located on Carmel hill that is south-east of the northern city of Haifa. Some 17,000 people from villages threatened by the fire were forced to flee their homes. On Saturday afternoon police allowed residents of five villages to return home.
The first group of assistance was sent on Thursday. Greece dispatched five Canadair fire fighting aircrafts to Israel after a telephone call between the Greek and Israeli Prime Ministers earlier in the day.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman later called Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas to thank Greece. He thanked the nation on behalf of the Israeli government for its immediate response to Israel’s request for help. He also praised the efficiency of the Greek forces.
Israeli police arrested two people Saturday on suspicion of causing the country’s worst bushfire through negligence.
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