Wildfires

Wildfires - Israel

An extensive forest fire which broke out Friday afternoon in the Beit Shemesh area poses threat to the communities of Tarum, Ta'oz and Kfar Uriya. The forest fire in Ya'ar Ha'Nasi ("President's Forest") grew at a tremendous rate due to strong winds.

A dozen firefighting planes and 40 ground crews are struggling to control the blaze. Surrounding roads have been closed.

Wildfires - Croatia

Hundreds of Croatian firefighters struggled Friday to contain raging wildfires on the Adriatic coast and islands at the height of tourist season.

Two huge fires have swept through the Peljesac peninsula this week, forcing evacuation of villages and destroying large areas of olive groves, pine forests and vineyards.

The blaze has occasionally cut off the main road and power supplies since it erupted early this week. Hot winds, often changing directions, have hindered efforts to contain the wildfires.

Winds on Friday reignited some of the blazes that firefighters had managed to curb after an all-night battle, authorities said. Fires also have swept through the islands of Korcula and Brac and on several other spots amid extremely high summer temperatures.