JERUSALEM, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A wave of brush fires across Israel, caused by extremely hot and dry weather, burned down homes and vehicles and sent dozens to hospitals on Wednesday.
At least 124 people were treated by Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service, according to the service's director-general, Eli Bin.
Bin said that most of the individuals were treated for or mild injuries due to smoke inhalation, heat strokes, dehydration, or fainting. One eight-year-old boy from the Bedouin town of Rahat in southern Israel was evacuated to the hospital in a critical condition due to a heat stroke.
Hundreds of homes across the country were evacuated due to fires and several roads and highways were closed down due to the blazes.
In Jerusalem, a fire broke out outside the Malha Technology Park, a high-tech industrial compound. The fire, which started in a parking lot near the compound, consumed about ten cars before the firefighters managed to subdue the flames, a spokesman with the Fire and Rescue Services said in a statement.
"Hundreds" of families were evacuated in the Arara, an Arab town in northern Israel, and additional 119 families were evacuated in the northern community of Katzir, the spokesman said.
A big brush fire broke out in the central city of Or Yehuda, burning to ground at least eight homes and injuring one 64-year-old man.
A fire in the West Bank settlement of Shavei Shomron caused damage to several homes, infrastructure, and a commercial building, local media reported. All of the residents have been evacuated.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan convened a special situation assessment meeting with the participation of the top command of the Israeli police, the Fire and Rescue Services, the National Emergency Authority, the Director-General of the Public Security Ministry, and the army's Home Front Command.
The extreme dry and hot weather conditions are expected to end by Wednesday night, as the temperature will go down and more humid air will move into the area.
