Dozens of people were taken to hospitals due to smoke inhalation since Tuesday, according to reports from public broadcaster ERT. About 13 firefighters were treated for burns and other injuries, a fire service spokesman said. Nearly 5,000 firefighters, assisted by 33 firefighting aircraft, were deployed from morning hours to control the flames, which are being intensified by winds and hot, dry conditions near Patras, on the tourist islands of Chios and Zakynthos, and at three additional locations on the mainland.

"Wednesday will be another very difficult day, as the risk of forest fires in most areas of the country will be very high," the fire service spokesman said.

Flames and dark smoke spread over a cement factory that was ignited by a forest fire that swept through olive trees and forests and disrupted train traffic near Patras.

"How does it look? It looks like judgment day. We came from Athens with our volunteer association Kalistenis, and we won't be able to do more. God help us and our people here," volunteer firefighter Yorgos Karvanis said, who worked on the fire near Patras.

Authorities issued an evacuation order for residents of a town of about 7,700 people near Patras on Tuesday and issued new warnings on Wednesday, asking residents of two nearby villages to leave their homes. On Chios island, the Coast Guard used boats to evacuate people to safety as flames reached the shores.

Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and the Balkans are also fighting forest fires in recent days, after a heat wave pushed temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in several regions of Europe. In Albania and Montenegro, forest fires have destroyed homes and property since last week.

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Fire Commissioner Eyal Caspi issued a special order prohibiting the lighting of bonfires and open flames in all open areas throughout Israel. The ban took effect on Friday, May 9 and will remain in place until Sunday, May 18 at 11:59 PM.

"The prohibition was issued under the commissioner's authority according to Regulation 8 of the National Fire and Rescue Authority regulations due to extreme conditions that increase the probability of fire outbreaks," the Fire and Rescue Authority stated in its announcement.

The holiday, which falls on the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar (Friday, May 16 this year), commemorates several significant events in Jewish tradition, primarily the death anniversary of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (Rashbi), a prominent Talmudic sage and author of the Zohar. The day also marks the end of a plague that killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva's students.

Despite the bonfire ban, limited exceptions exist for designated areas that have been specifically prepared for fire lighting by local authorities, the Nature and Parks Authority, or the Jewish National Fund, and have received approval from fire authorities.

The weather forecast indicates a significant temperature increase for Lag BaOmer day, with temperatures expected to rise 6-8 degrees Celsius across the country, creating drought conditions in most areas except along the coast.

More than 1.5 million students from kindergartens, elementary schools, and middle schools will enjoy a day off on Friday following an agreement between the Teachers' Union Secretary-General Yaffa Ben-David and the Finance Ministry.

Approximately 150,000 people are expected to attend the annual pilgrimage to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's tomb on Mount Meron in northern Israel. This year's celebration presents unique logistical challenges as the main lighting ceremony will take place Thursday night leading into Friday, requiring visitors to return home at a reasonable hour before Shabbat begins.

The celebration has also sparked controversy after "Magen," a support center for sexual assault victims in religious communities, demanded that Rabbi Eliezer Berland, a convicted sex offender, be barred from participating in the central lighting ceremonies at Mount Meron. Despite these objections, Berland's "Shuvu Banim" community is scheduled to hold a lighting ceremony at 3:30 a.m. during the celebration.

Israel Railways announced service changes for the holiday period. Carmiel station will be closed for regular service on Thursday and Friday (May 15-16) under police instruction, with shuttle services operating from Achihud and Acre stations. Additionally, no trains will operate on the Beer Sheva-Tel Aviv line on Thursday between approximately 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

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The fire has yet to be fully brought under control, but emergency officials report progress in containment efforts. The Israel Fire and Rescue Services announced that air support is now playing a key role, with 10 firefighting planes, including aircraft from the "Elad" squadron, conducting sorties to create firebreaks between the advancing blaze and residential areas. An additional eight planes from Cyprus and Italy are expected to arrive later today.

Video: Footage from a Shimshon aircraft assisting in wildfire containment efforts // Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson

The areas affected by the fires include Shaar Hagai, Mesilat Zion, Nataf, Yad Hashmona, Neve Ilan, Mevo Horon, Canada Park, the corridor from Anava to Latrun, Neve Shalom, the Burma Road to Eshtaol Forest, Beit Meir, and Shoresh. Evacuations were carried out in Shaar Hagai, Mesilat Zion, Beit Meir, Shoresh, Neve Ilan, Yad Hashmona, and Nataf.

Firefighting efforts remain particularly intense in the areas around Beit Meir and Shoresh.

Video: Many travelers were trapped between the flames on Highway 1 // Johnny Dov

Following an overnight assessment, police advised residents of Mevo Horon that it is now safe to return home and resume normal routines. Meanwhile, Highway 1, Highway 3, and Route 38 – all previously closed due to the fire threat – have been reopened to traffic.

Firefighters managed to gain control overnight over the blaze in Canada Park, although isolated hotspots remain. Authorities have urged the public to avoid entering the park despite the fire no longer posing a direct threat to nearby communities.

Since the fires broke out on Wednesday morning, at least 17 people have suffered injuries from smoke inhalation and minor trauma, including two toddlers. Two firefighters were evacuated to the hospital. The Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh) reported that three victims remain hospitalized while nine others were discharged.

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A fire broke out Wednesday morning, on Israel's Memorial Day, in a forest near Beit Shemesh. Firefighting teams are working at the scene after authorities declared an emergency, triggering nationwide assistance mobilization, including aircraft, reinforcement teams from additional districts, and logistical support. The Israel Fire and Rescue Services announced that all Independence Day events requiring firefighter security will not be able to receive protection, therefore, Independence Day events cannot be held.

The Israel Police commissioner was forced to leave the national memorial ceremony for victims of terror attacks due to the fire emergency and is making his way to the command post.

Video: People abandon their vehicles on Highway 1. Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27(a)

The Israel Fire and Rescue Services has raised its alert level to maximum. Following situational assessments directed by the Israel Police commissioner, emergency protocols have been activated, with firefighting teams being mobilized across all districts nationwide. Vehicles and equipment have been deployed, and the Israel National Special Rescue Unit has been activated at full strength on nationwide alert.

Numerous firefighting teams from the Beit Shemesh area are currently battling a developing forest fire in Eshta'ol Forest. Strong winds in the area are contributing to the rapid spread of the flames. Firefighters are working determinedly to contain the fire and prevent its spread toward forested and populated areas.

Video: The fire near highway 1

During rescue operations at the fire scene on Highway 1, nine people were rescued from vehicles caught in heavy smoke. Three private vehicles and a truck are burning at the scene, all without anyone trapped inside. Several people suffering from mild smoke inhalation are currently receiving treatment from medical personnel in the field.

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Based on operational assessments, the Israel Police received instructions from the Israel Fire and Rescue Services to evacuate communities in the area. The evacuation is proceeding amid challenging terrain conditions, with strong winds and an active fire threatening to spread toward populated areas.

Multiple firefighting teams from the Beit Shemesh region are currently combating the rapidly developing forest fire in Eshta'ol Forest. Strong winds in the area are accelerating the fire's spread. Firefighters are working determinedly to contain the flames and prevent their advance toward forested and populated zones.

Video: The fire in the Jerusalem area. Credit: Israel Fire and Rescue Services

Magen David Adom (MADA) has deployed ambulances, intensive care units, and immediate response vehicles to provide medical support for firefighting operations. No casualties have been reported at this stage. MADA teams remain prepared to deliver medical treatment and assist with resident evacuations if necessary.

Following the "Red Torch" declaration, additional teams from the Jerusalem district are en route to the scene. Approximately 50 firefighting teams along with 12 planes and a helicopter have been mobilized to combat the fire from both ground and air.

The Jewish National Fund (KKL) issued a statement saying, "The Jewish National Fund and fire service forces are in the field, working to block the fire from reaching settlements. A command post has been established in the Eshta'ol area to supervise and manage the event. The public is requested not to come to the area."

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The global time difference transformed into a strategic advantage: during American nighttime hours, Israeli analysts conducted comprehensive data processing and prepared detailed operational assessments for the next day's firefighting efforts.

"We developed a specialized daily portal for all American forces in the field," Captain Keren who heads research and data at the Home Front Command's Operations Branch explained. "We successfully integrated extensive data sets – consolidating all wildfire information in a single platform. This included detailed mapping of fire zones, educational facilities, and power infrastructure. When the Israeli firefighting delegation arrived on site, they presented American forces with the comprehensive collected data, enabling strategic decision-making."

The Operations Branch, established in 2018 under the leadership of then-Home Front Command commander Tamir Yadai, comprises several dozen soldiers, predominantly between 18 and 21 years old. They represent Israel's technological vanguard in data analytics, employing artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies to support field operations.

"Our only requirement is a single ground contact who understands our capabilities and information needs," Lieutenant Colonel Yosef Salem, head of data at the Home Front Command said. "Our command center team expertly translates all field information into data systems using pioneering technology."

"Our effectiveness in fire management was significantly enhanced by the time zone difference between Israel and the United States," Salem, who accompanied the Israeli firefighting delegation to California, noted. "We operated during Israel's daylight hours, corresponding to nighttime in the United States. American teams would begin each day with comprehensive situation assessments we had prepared during their overnight hours."

The unit implements an innovative dual-team approach – combining frontline personnel who identify immediate needs with a sophisticated command center team that analyzes data and develops solutions. "We deploy to various emergency scenarios, from pandemics to floods, building collapses, and hurricanes," Lieutenant Colonel Salem explained. "Our first step is comprehensive situation assessment. The field team operates directly at the disaster site, conducting real-time analysis, while the command center team processes and analyzes the data they receive."

"While the United States possesses significant technological capabilities, the crucial elements of emergency decision-making, information accessibility, and inter-force coordination remain challenging for many international emergency organizations," Captain Keren explained. "They haven't yet reached the technological frontier where Israel excels and has valuable expertise to share."

The Israeli model has demonstrated its effectiveness both internationally and domestically, proving crucial during military operations like "Breaking Dawn" and "Shield and Arrow," as well as civilian emergencies. "We have concrete evidence of lives saved in the United States," Keren recounted. "Upon arrival, we encountered massive disorder – evacuees without shelter, food, or sleeping arrangements. The scale of the emergency was immense.

"The Home Front Command's mission is to protect civilians in crisis situations, both in Israel and globally," Captain Keren concluded. "We are trailblazers with significant capabilities to share."

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The fires, which erupted Tuesday, have consumed approximately 22 square miles – about half the size of San Francisco – stretching from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena. One of the blazes has become the most destructive fire in modern Los Angeles history.

"This morning, we woke up to a dark cloud over all of Los Angeles. But it is darkest for those who are most intimately impacted by these fires. It has been an immensely painful 24 hours," Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.

Video: Satellite images of the wildfires in Los Angeles. Credit: Reuters

With gusts reaching 80 mph and potentially climbing to 100 mph in mountainous areas, the Los Angeles Fire Department issued an urgent request for off-duty and out-of-state firefighters to assist the more than 1,400 personnel already battling the flames.

At least 70,000 residents were ordered to evacuate, though officials said that number continued to fluctuate as new evacuation orders were issued. The fires threatened several prominent neighborhoods including Calabasas and Santa Monica. "We are prioritizing life over everything else," Sheriff Robert Luna said.

The most severe blaze swept through Pacific Palisades, an upscale coastal neighborhood. As flames approached, roads became gridlocked with residents abandoning their vehicles to escape on foot. "People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags," Kelsey Trainor, who fled as ash rained down and fires burned on both sides of the road, said.

In Pasadena, emergency workers evacuated a senior living facility, pushing residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds to safety. Many of those evacuees were temporarily housed at the Pasadena Convention Center on Wednesday.

The unseasonable timing of the fires reflects California's changing climate patterns, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. While the state's traditional fire season typically runs from June through October, warming temperatures and decreased rainfall have extended the threat of wildfires throughout the year.

President Joe Biden pledged to sign a federal emergency declaration during a briefing with Gov. Gavin Newsom at a Santa Monica fire station. Newsom announced on X that he had deployed National Guard troops and was seeking assistance from neighboring states.

"We are absolutely not out of danger yet," Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley said. Officials urged residents to limit water usage, as the city's water systems were struggling to meet both residential and firefighting needs. More than 100 schools were closed, and Southern California Edison cut power to thousands of customers, warning that up to 500,000 could face shutoffs depending on weather conditions.

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A massive, fast-moving wildfire rages near Athens, Greece, fueled by strong winds, drought, scorching heat, reaching flames up to 25 meters (80 feet) high.

The blaze spread to the suburbs around 9 miles from the city center, forcing mass evacuations of over a dozen areas, including hospitals, monasteries, and homes.

The fire burned homes, businesses, cars, trees, an indoor stadium, and infrastructure, covering Athens in smoke and ash, causing power cuts, injuries, hospitalizations, and at least one death.

Hundreds of firefighters, commando teams, vehicles, volunteers, and assistance from other European nations were involved in extinguishing the fires, which broke out in 40 different locations on Monday.

Authorities mobilized a large-scale operation involving 685 firefighters, specialized wildfire response teams, military personnel, numerous vehicles and aircraft, and requested international aid.

Authorities attributed the heightened fire danger to climate change, which has made wildfires more frequent, intense, and a recurring threat in Greece and other regions like Spain and the Balkans.

Greece faces its worst wildfire season in two decades, with firefighters battling dozens of wildfires daily since the beginning of summer.

Sources: AP News, BBC News, Sky News, Independent, New York Times, Financial Times, ABC News, New York Post, South China Morning Post, CBC News, Yahoo News, CGTN, Kathimerini, Hindustan Times, Washington Post, Time

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Swiss news agency ATS quoted Godard's partner, Anne-Marie Mieville, and her producers as saying he died peacefully and surrounded by his loved ones at his home in the Swiss town of Rolle, on Lake Geneva, on Tuesday. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Godard as "the most iconoclastic of the New Wave directors" who "invented a resolutely modern, intensely free art form."

He added: "We have lost a national treasure, the eye of a genius."

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Tension on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip could grow worse, defense officials think.

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Hamas wants the situation to revert to what existed prior to Operation Guardian of the Walls in May, while Israel is unwilling to continue efforts to reach a long-term ceasefire without an agreement to return its missing fallen soldiers and civilians being held captive in Gaza. However, Israel is gradually allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, with the condition that Hamas violence – in the form of rocket fire, arson balloons, or rioting on the border fence – will cause Israel to restrict the flow of goods and equipment into Gaza.

The Israeli defense establishment thinks that if the border protests and the arson balloon attacks continue, there will be no alternative to another military operation against Hamas targets in Gaza. Nevertheless, the defense apparatus would prefer to postpone that scenario until after the High Holidays, which begin on Monday, Sept. 6.

Hamas is exploiting this preference and threatening to step up violence on Rosh Hashanah, on the pretext that the latest disbursement of Qatari aid money has not been transferred. Palestinian officials recently claimed that Israel was obstructing the transfer of funds, leaving tens of thousands of families in need.

One senior official who spoke to Palestinian media outlets said that Hamas and the other armed factions in Gaza had agreed to continue sending arson balloons over the border fence, hoping to cause wildfires in the western Negev, and have their "night units" harass residents of western Negev communities.

On Saturday, Hamas launched over a dozen arson balloons into Israel.

Photos and videos posted online showed masked Hamas-affiliated terrorists holding pictures of Gazans killed in recent clashes with Israeli forces while they launched balloons in the direction of Israel.

There were no immediate reports of any fires in southern Israel. Israel's new government has compared the balloons, which have sparked a series of wildfires in recent weeks, to rocket fire. It often responds to the launches with nighttime airstrikes on Hamas targets.

Hamas has also staged a series of violent demonstrations along the Israeli border in recent weeks calling for an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade.

A Hamas spokesman said Saturday that the Gazan people were determined to "break the siege" and no longer accepted the two countries' "gradual easing" of the blockade.

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