Wildfires raged across Israel for a third consecutive day Thursday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to world leaders for help.
The fires, which began in Zichron Ya’akov Tuesday, have now spread as far north as the city of Haifa, while also affecting Modi’in in central Israel.
A police spokesman told CNN that forces and firefighters are focusing their efforts on dealing with a number of fires in Haifa as 11 of the city’s neighborhoods are being evacuated.
Two prisons at Carmel and Damon were also evacuated, with 600 prisoners and 150 prison officers moved by police.
According to Magen David Adom, Israel’s ambulance service, 35 people have been treated for light smoke inhalation across the country since the fires broke out earlier this week.
It says MDA remains on its highest alert level, with all vehicles and teams across the country on call.
The Israel Defense Forces’ Homefront Command has deployed two search-and-rescue battalions to assist civilian efforts.
A spokesman for the IDF confirmed that reservists have been called to assist police and fire services with resources and manpower.
Following the request from Netanyahu, leaders from several countries have offered to help Israel battle the blazes, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia will send two giant Beriev be-200 firefighting aircraft to assist with the operation after the two leaders spoke on the telephone.
Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Cyprus have also assisted Israeli authorities.
The fires are the worst to hit Israel since 2010, when more than 40 people died.
