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A massive wildfire on Wednesday afternoon completely destroyed the Einot Gibton Nature Reserve, which had only reopened to the public two years ago after a decade of ecological rehabilitation. The blaze broke out in central Israel near Highway 6 and continued spreading throughout the day amid high winds and scorching temperatures.
Roughly 215 dunams (53 acres) of protected land were scorched, erasing ten years of restoration work. The flames quickly spread from the reserve to the agricultural areas of nearby towns, prompting the closure of Highway 6 for several hours. Despite the efforts of firefighting teams, the fire left behind a charred and barren landscape.
Einot Gibton, considered one of the region’s most cherished ecological sites, had undergone an extensive NIS 3 million ($822,000) restoration funded by the Gezer Regional Council, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Land Authority’s Open Space Foundation. The reserve, located in the southern coastal plain, was known for its rare wetland habitat and rich biodiversity. Its destruction represents a major ecological loss.
Gezer Regional Council head Rotem Yadlin called the fire a devastating blow: “Einot Gibton was a small and heartwarming ‘boutique reserve’ that brought smiles to everyone who climbed its lookout tower and gazed upon the spring, once home to birds, ducks and even crabs — right in the heart of the country. It was a reminder of how vital open natural spaces are, even next to developed areas.”
“This fire didn’t just destroy the reserve — it burned our spirits too,” Yadlin added. “The site had been closed for 10 years due to man-made pollution and we invested tremendous effort to bring it back to life. I believe the government will step up to restore this wonderful place.”
The fire near the reserve was one of several across the country, fueled by extreme heat felt on Wednesday. Residents from several communities were evacuated.
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Dozens of firefighting crews, helicopters and planes were dispatched. A general mobilization of fire services was declared. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and a police officer was moderately injured in the blazes around the Jerusalem hills.
Later tonight, the Israeli Air Force is expected to join the efforts with a Samson aircraft, following the end of daytime aerial firefighting operations. By evening, police reported that Highways 38 and 44 had reopened.
‘We rescued everything we could — dogs, cats, horses’
Border Police officer Sergeant Major Yarin Pontermoli described the tense moments as officers evacuated residents and rescued animals from the fire's path.
“We were on routine patrol when we got a report of a fire spreading along Route 44,” he said. He and his team rushed to the scene and saw the flames heading toward Moshav Mesilat Zion, near Beit Shemesh.
“When we arrived, the first row of houses was already catching fire. We started evacuating people immediately — whoever we could, in any car we had,” he recalled. Later, they received word that a farm in one of the communities was encircled by fire and the residents refused to leave without saving their animals.
“We arrived with more police and Border Police teams and began evacuating the horses. I personally got on a horse and galloped it out to Route 38, where I reunited it with its owner,” Pontermoli said. “We got out dogs, cats — anything we could, as fast as we could.”
Despite the risks, he stressed the police’s commitment: “We inhaled a lot of smoke but we had no choice. These are human lives and we tried to get everyone out.”