Posted on 12/02/2010 11:13:32 PM PST by IsraelBeach
Facebook Group Created To Provide Information On Israel Fire Disaster
Haifa, Israel ----- December 2, 2010 ........ A Facebook group has been created to provide the latest news, information and emergency telephone numbers in regard to the Israel fire disaster in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa.
The Facebook group is located at: I Support Israel - Fire Disaster 2010
"We are witnessing a tragedy," said Joel Leyden, publisher of the Israel News Agency.
"This is the worst fire to have ever ravaged Israel. Over 40 people are now reported dead with many more injured. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared the fire in the Carmel Mountains near Haifa as a national disaster."
Hundreds of thousands of people are now being evacuated from the Greater Haifa region.
The Facebook group will serve to show the world's support for Israel at this time, to provide the latest news, emergency telephone numbers and information for all to use to contribute either their skills or make a financial donation to protect Israel against future natural disasters.
Emergency numbers have been provided as follows:
Hopital Rambam: 12-55-144 Hôpital Carmel: 12-55-142 Hôpital Bnei Zion: 12-55-145 Social Services : 118 MDA 1-700-700-106
US President Barack Obama expressed his "deepest condolences" for the victims of the Carmel fire in Israel and said the US had offered to help fight it.
The blaze killed 40 people, most of them prison guards on board a bus that was trapped in the inferno.
"I want to begin by offering our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones, of all of those who died," Obama told some 500 guests during a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony at the White House.
"As rescuers, firefighters are continuing their work, the United States is acting to help our Israel friends in this time of disaster," he said, adding that the government was looking into what kinds of aid it could provide.
The Israel fire service has urgently called up all 1,500 firefighters in the country, and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an urgent appeal for international assistance in containing the fire.
Humanitarian offers have poured in, with Greece pledging to send four firefighting planes, Cyprus offering a helicopter and another firefighting aircraft, and Bulgaria reportedly sending 90 firefighters.
The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had also received pledges of help from Romania, Azerbaijan, France, Russia, Croatia and Turkey.
A Boeing 747 loaded with the fire retardant chemical needed to stop the raging Carmel forest fires will leave the United States for Israel tonight, thanks to New York City Mayor Bloomberg, Israel Acting Consul General Ido Aharoni, members of the FDNY and Tom Harbour, the Director of Fire and Aviation Management for the US Forestry Service.
Bloomberg called Israel’s Acting Consul General in New York Ido Aharoni Thursday afternoon to convey New York City's strong support for Israel Thursday afternoon, Bloomberg's spokesperson Stu Loeser said.
Bloomberg asked if New York could help Israel with its fires. Bloomberg mentioned in the call that FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano had had a meeting scheduled for Friday with Israel's Deputy Minister of Defense, Matan Vilnai and two aides. Vilnai is in charge of Homeland Defense including natural disasters and terrorist/hostile military events against the civilian population. However, the Friday meeting had been cancelled due to Vilnai's return to Israel.
"Israel has endured a very severe drought and hot weather, leaving the precious trees and bush extremely dry," said Leyden, who maintains a digital PR, SEO and social media business in both Israel and New York.
"We cherish every drop of rain in Israel and respect every tree and plant."
Leyden states that Israel has entered into the Hanukkah holiday where children light candles of light to celebrate an ancient Jewish victory over the Maccabees. This Festival of Lights is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE.
"We have lost over 40 people to this fire. The candles that we normally burn for Chanukah celebration have become memorial candles for our dead. We pray for their families and thank the many nations which have offered Israel humanitarian assistance."
I wonder if this catastrophic fire happened because the Israelis have followed the same total fire suppression tactics that our own Forest Service used to follow. That led to the terrible Yellowstone Fires, and a change in policy to allow for controlled burns to keep the fuel load level down.
The Israelis didn’t either suppress fires or do controlled burns, as I far as I know. But this disaster is likely to completely change how Israel practices fire prevention in the future.
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