Major Fire in Givat Shaul; President’s Residence Evacuated
The offices of the President’s Residence and the Israel Electric Corporation were evacuated on Wednesday afternoon as a massive fire raged in the Givat Shaul neighborhood near the entrance to Yerushalayim.
No injuries were reported, and the evacuations were only ordered as a precaution, as 35 teams of firefighters and eight fire-extinguishing planes battled to control the blaze, driven by winds in the Yerushalayim Forest area and Givat Shaul’s industrial zone.
A spokeswoman for the Electric Corporation told The Jerusalem Post that the fire had approached their district offices but had not reached the building. She said that the fire was not expected to cause service disruptions.
Authorities also cordoned off Route 1, which connects Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim.
Residents in the affected area were urged to remain indoors and with the windows closed to avoid smoke inhalation.
“With tremendous effort and at great personal risk, our firefighters have managed to contain the fire across all fronts and to halt its spread, preventing serious harm to residents in nearby neighborhoods, as well as public buildings and industry,” said Yerushalayim Fire Department District Commander Eli Peretz.
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