[bootlegga]

$1:

HAIFA, Israel - Foreign firefighters and aircraft poured into Israel Friday in an unprecedented wave of international assistance as the country battled a huge forest fire that has killed at least 41 people and displaced thousands.

Firefighters struggled for a second day to contain the inferno as flames spread through one of the country's few natural forests to the outskirts of Israel's third-largest city, Haifa. One of the main highways was closed to traffic as smoke billowed toward the Mediterranean coastline.

"The size of the fire is huge, the wind is very strong and there is a problem accessing the mountains and valleys," said Yoram Levi, a spokesman for Israel's fire and rescue service. "We don't have big aircraft that can carry a large amount of water. It is not enough for a large-scale fire."

The shortfall prompted Israel to issue a rare cry for nonmilitary international assistance. The Jewish state is better known for sending its own rescue teams and medical personnel to other countries to help in their disaster-relief efforts.

Some 100 firefighters from Bulgaria arrived as well as fire extinguishing planes and crews from Greece and Britain, Israeli officials said. More aid was on its way from the United States, Russia, Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan, Spain, Azerbaijan, Romania and Turkey — which put aside tensions over Israel's deadly raid on a Turkish Gaza-bound flotilla in May to lend a hand.

http://beta.ca.news.yahoo.com/firefight ... death.html

[KorbenDeck]

Why aren't we helping them? Not like our forest fire fighters are busy this time of year

[ASLplease]

i didnt know isreal had forest.

[raydan]

Love the comments in that link.

Turned into a Jew vs Muslim slug fest from tha very beginning.

[Khar]

ASLplease ASLplease:

i didnt know isreal had forest.

Only three natural ones, from what I remember.

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

Why aren't we helping them? Not like our forest fire fighters are busy this time of year

Well, our forest firefighters have other jobs during the winter. I know a few who are firefighters in the season when the government and people need firefighters only. Plus, most of those nations are either their closest allies (US, Britain) or neighbours.

However, the Canadian government offered the use of our firefighting services to Netanyahu on the 3rd, when Harper called him with the offer of aid, and released the following statement via Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon:

“On behalf of the government and people of Canada, I offer my condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and wish a quick recovery to those who were injured.

My thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible fire.

The Government of Canada is working rapidly to identify Canadian assistance that could be provided to Israel to ensure the fire is extinguished as soon as possible.

We stand with the people of Israel in this time of need.”

So the offer is out there, and if it has been accepted hopefully assistance is on the way. Given our offer was not well covered by the media I'm not hopeful on being able to get much of a follow up article on this one, I had to trawl the net a bit to confirm the details from this one.

[EyeBrock]

I note that Jordan has sent firefighters to help out. Good stuff.

[xerxes]

KorbenDeck KorbenDeck:

Why aren't we helping them? Not like our forest fire fighters are busy this time of year

Canada has sent some firefighters and a water bomber to help.

[xerxes]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

I note that Jordan has sent firefighters to help out. Good stuff.

And the Palestinian Authority as well.

[EyeBrock]

xerxes xerxes:

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

I note that Jordan has sent firefighters to help out. Good stuff.

And the Palestinian Authority as well.

Nah.

[xerxes]

Hard to believe but, scarily enough, it's true.:

$1:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his thanks for the help, which is coming from Britain, France, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Jordan, Cyprus, Egypt, Russia, the United States and other countries.

"They're standing shoulder to shoulder with us on the ground and in the skies fighting this terrible fire," he said in a statement to Reuters TV on Friday. "We're deeply moved and deeply grateful."

The Palestinian Authority has also sent firefighting units to the disaster zone.

"The three units of the Palestinian civil defence were sent to assist in extinguishing the fires in the Carmel," President Mahmoud Abbas's office said in a statement.


http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/12/04/israel-wildfire.html#ixzz17Cv1t0aT

[EyeBrock]

In between rocket attacks? Nah.

[Canadian_Mind]

Guess it would be a long haul for the MARS bombers to get over there eh?

[xerxes]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

In between rocket attacks? Nah.

Well, to be fair, it's the Palestinian Authority under Fath that's sending the help. Hamas is the one that sends rockets.