ISRAEL’S 2010 WILDFIRE REVEALS LACK OF PREPARATION,

WHILE HIGHLIGHTING BENEFITS OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

DECEMBER 1-8, 2010

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

THE WILDFIRE NEAR HAIFA, THE 3RD LARGEST CITY

Israel’s summer of 2010 had been one of the hottest and driest on

record, creating conditions that are favorable for wildfires.

The cause: A 14-year-old-boy says he had been smoking, using a

hookah pipe, in a forest, and the fire got out of control within munutes..

ISRAEL’S WORST WILDFIRE IN HISTORY FINDS ISRAEL UNPREPARED

The emergency showed that Israel had neglected to invest in the equipment and personnel needed to effectively combat wildfires that have become pervasive in recent years amid unseasonably high temperatures and periods of drought

FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND

AN INTENSE FIRE EXACERBATED BY WIND AND DRYNESS

FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND

The flames, fanned by high winds, were like a giant wave at

sea, traveling at times with leaps of 500 meters.

After only two days, the fire killed 42 people and consumed more than 7,000 acres, destroying a large part of the Carmel Forest, one of Israel's natural crown jewels and a popular

tourist and vacation destination that is known as “Little Switzerland”

because of its beauty. .

The fire, exacerbated by high winds, was too demanding for Israel’s 1,500 firefighters to contain, so

Israel issued a rare call for HELP.

Thirteen nations of the international community

responded immediately with material assets and pledges

of help

Britain, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Russia, Jordan,

Turkey and USA sent help.

PLANES FROM FOUR COUNTRIES FIGHTING THE FIRE

USA SENT A BOEING 747 TO FIGHT THE FIRE

A GREEK FIREFIGHTING PLANE

A PLANE FROM TURKEY

December 6: Although the fire still has many hot spots

located in hard to reach areas, the fire is expected to

be under control within about 2 days.