Fires near Jerusalem charred 2,500 acres of forest, injured 22 people and forced the evacuation of thousands more from six small towns.
The fires were fanned by hot desert winds, which brought record temperatures across Israel.Hundreds of firefighters from all over the country took more than six hours Sunday to control the blaze, which Israel radio said was the biggest in the country's history. Four planes and military helicopters sprayed chemicals on the flames.
A large cloud of gray smoke hovered over the Jerusalem area. Ashes fell in downtown Jerusalem, and the smell of smoke permeated the city.
At least 22 people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and two were reported in serious condition.
The main highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was closed for several hours because of flames shooting into the air about five miles west of Jerusalem. Traffic was at a standstill in many parts of Jerusalem.
Israel radio said 20 homes and 2 million trees were completely destroyed and 10 other homes were damaged. It estimated damage to the forest alone at $20 million.
As flames approached, residents were evacuated from a cluster of towns several miles west of Jerusalem - Newe Ilan, Shoresh, Shoeva, Telstone, Kiriyat Yaarim and Yad Hashmona.
In Telstone, a small community of ultra-Orthodox Jews, dozens of people left on foot.