The fire rages on in Israel’s Carmel Mountains, a nature reserve.
With untold damage to wildlife and one of Israel’s only forests, Friday morning in Israel a wildfire that broke out yesterday at noon, still rages out of control, picking up speed as it rips through the western part of the Carmel Mountains teetering on the edge of the city of Haifa. Fourteen thousand people have been evacuated and 14,000 dumans (3,500 acres) have been decimated. It’s the worst fire in Israeli history and international support including a pledge from Barack Obama has come in to offer to help Israel fight the fire.
“As rescuers, firefighters are continuing their work, the United States is acting to help our Israeli friends in this time of disaster,” he said during a Hanukkah lighting ceremony of 500 people at the White House.
AFP is reporting that offers to help Israel have poured in: “with Greece pledging to send four firefighting planes, Cyprus offering a helicopter and another firefighting aircraft, and Bulgaria reportedly sending 90 firefighters.”
Israel’s foreign ministry said it had also received pledges of help from Romania, Azerbaijan, France, Russia, Croatia and Turkey.
Friends from around the world have asked Green Prophet what they can do to help. Prayers, dear friends. Prayers. The fire has already killed 40 people.
Iran also suffered a major forest fire this year, due to increasingly warm and dry summers.
Read more on the Israel Fire:
Israel Carmel Fire Rages On And Kills 40
What’s At Stake For UNESCO Nature Reserve
The UNESCO Reserve for People, Prophets and Wildlife
Image via EPA/Oliver Weiken
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
I can’t read German, unfortunately, but I’m extremely curious of the solution proposed in the above link. I worked in fire in the states, and now focus on research. I’m curious of the strategy suggested, but also want to remind folks that our last 100 years of fire suppression are still exacerbating fire activity in many areas of the U.S.
Fire is an important process needed to maintain ecosystem function in many regions- especially Mediterranean climates.
I welcome discussion and thoughts.
Fire is important under natural circumstances. A couple of points: it was started by humans, not by the sun. If we are experiencing drought as a symptom of global warming, this isn’t natural. And thirdly, the trees were not all indigenous species.
If you have somebody to read German, here is a ‘forgotten’ solution for stopping wildfires immediatly – which was blocked by the anti-fire-planes industrie as I think:
http://www.khammas.de/sprengschlauch_loeschtechnik.htm
There are links to two articles (2007 and 2008) with explain this fantastic innovation by the Chief of the firebrigade in Frankfurt/M.
All the best!
Achmed