Wildfires spread near Jerusalem, fire official says 'maybe Israel's largest ever'

Wildfires are spreading near Jerusalem, as a fire official says it "maybe the largest there has ever been in this country."

Large brushfires began Wednesday morning local time in the hills to the west of Jerusalem, but the fires are now spreading eastward, The Times of Israel reported.

“We are amidst a very large wildfire, maybe the largest there has ever been in this country,” said Fire and Rescue Service’s Jerusalem District commander Shmulik Friedman during a press conference held in Eshtaol on Wednesday evening.

“Regarding our activity, it will continue for a very long time. We are far from having control [over the fires],” Friedman said.

He warned that the winds could pick up and worse the spread of the fires.

In response to a question about the cause of the fires, Friedman said, “We do not currently know what caused the fire, we have absolutely no clue, and we are not yet dealing with this.”

The heatwave and strong winds are making the fires difficult to control.

Several communities have been evacuated and the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was closed, according to The Times.

There were 11 aircraft and 63 firefighting teams being used to fight the fires.