On August 15th, 2021 a fire broke out in one of the many communities in the Jerusalem Hills. The hot and dry weather combined with strong winds caused the fire to spread quickly. Thousands of residents were evacuated and thick black smoke was visible from miles away. It turned into the largest and most devastating wildfire to occur in the Jerusalem area in recent years. More than 4,000 acres of planted forests and natural woodland were destroyed, including areas of the ancient Sataf Forest and monumental Martyrs’ Forest. Dozens of species of flora and fauna unique to the area were lost – an entireecosystem went up in flames.
“This is the secondlargest wildfire that I’ve seen in my 35 years in the region. Its intensity and speed were unparalleled”
- Hanoch Tzoref, KKL