ISRAEL SPEAKS
In December 2010 the biggest fire in the history of Israel broke out.
The fire raged for four days on the slopes of Mount Carmel, -
near the third largest city, Haifa.
The fire killed 44 people, destroyed many homes and -
over 2500 hectares of forest.
The ombudsman leading the investi- gation over the accident found -
many defects in the fire services. Israelin government was accused: -
it did not heed the warnings on the lack of adequate staff and equipment.
Big changes were made as a result of the fire.
Big grants were given to Israeli fire and rescue departments.
Two years after the fire, in February 2013, we went to -
see how things are like at Mount Carmel today.
We also went to visit Yemin Orde, a youth village that was -
badly damaged by the fire.
Fire Chief Dani Chananya has served in the army for 24 years and -
25 years for the fire department.
He is now head of the fire and rescue teams near Mount Carmel.
He is responsible for the area of Haifa and Mount Carmel with a -
population of over a million. The local fire department -
is at the base of Mount Carmel. Oil purification and petrochemical -
manufacturing in the area add challenges to the work.
I am in charge of a big area: it includes the whole northern coast.
The population of the area is 1.3 million.
There is also a lot of problematic chemical industry in the area.
The firefighters in our district are the best in the world.
They are professionals that are very dedicated to their work.
The industrial plants usually follow the safety instructions well.
We respond to the challenges when it is necessary.
We are also continually improving our ways of conduct.
The Carmel fire caused big changes for Israel's Fire & Rescue Services.
The incident caused the Fire and Rescue Services change -
some of their ways of conduct.
However, it came at a high cost: 44 people lost their lives.
It is a huge loss for such a small country.
We have continuously warned -
that our resources do not meet the country's needs.
Quantity wise our resources -
are not enough, even though the quality is excellent.
Our fire fighters are really good at what they do.
We just lack the numbers.
Some of our trucks are 25 years old.
After the Carmel disaster, we were given 80 new fire trucks.
Each one costs 1.7 million shekels. (over 350.000 Euros)
The State is doing its best to prevent such accidents.
Fire and Rescue Services were moved under the control of the government.
Before it was the responsibility of the local councils but they didn't -
always have sufficient funding.
Now the State takes care of it.
Before, each fire and rescue brigade had their own fire chief.
The head fire chief had to communicate with 24 people.
That did not work very well.
Now there are seven regional chiefs. Each focuses on the problems -
and needs of their own area.
It is much easier to communicate with seven people, instead of 24.
During the wildfire of 2010, Israel had to get help from firefighter -
planes of neighbouring States. After the fire, the Israeli Air -
Force decided to get a special squadron of fire-fighting planes.
Now we have a new squadron named after Elad Riven, a volunteer -
firefighter who was killed in the Carmel wildfire.
The squadron has eight planes.
Up until the Carmel fire we had planes that were able to carry -
1 500 liters of water.
It is sufficient for extinguishing -
only a wildfire with low bushes.
During the dry season, the heat of the forest fire will evaporate -
an amount of water like that before it hits the ground.
Our new planes can hold twice as much water.
Even that is not much, compared to what the biggest planes can hold.
Now we have eight planes, which each can hold three cubic meters -
of water, equal to the amount that one fire truck can hold.
In the past two years, the fire services has improved -
significantly, in both quantity and quality.
However, it is not enough.
I have 250 firefighters in my area.
In Israel we have to be prepared for not only war situations but also -
for destructive earthquakes.
Our budget for the next five years is 1.3 billion shekels.
Our staff will grow from the current 250 firefighters to 550.
It will strengthen us remarkably.
Many risks are involved in the work that Dani does and it often has to -
do with saving peoples lives. He knows there are limits to -
human efforts and that in the end much is in God's hands.
As Jews we always call out to God when we are in distress.
Oh, Lord, protect me!
Those who believe seek God in the midst of trouble.
He always protects us in the end.
May God also protect the Finnish people.
I send off my firefighters by declaring God's protection over them.
THE FOREST OF MOUNT CARMEL IN 2010
In the aftermath of the wildfire of 2010, most of Mount Carmel -
became blackened and charred.
Two years later, partically burned trees can still be seen, but the -
overall color has returned to green.
Michael Weinberg is the Jewish National Fund's district leader -
of Carmel and West Galilee. The JNF is responsible for the -
implementation of forest management and afforestation in Israel.
Michael Weinberg has taken care of the forest and flora in the area.
He has even put out forest fires.
He can not forget the huge fire.
I was far away when I saw a huge cloud of smoke over the mountain.
I knew that putting it out would take lots of fire-fighters and equipment.
The worst was that sometimes we had to move away from the fire -
because own lives were at stake.
Once, we had to withdraw two times from a hotel rescue operation.
Our third attempt was successful and the hotel was spared.
Many wildfires have occured on Mount Carmel in the past 30 years.
There has been a bigger fire every six to seven years.
The wildfire of December 2010 has been the biggest one.
Wildfires are not natural; they are always started by humans.
The previous fire also began from a careless handling of fire.
It burned 2500 hectares of forest.
It was also the deadliest fire with a big amount of casualties.
We remember the 44 heroes that lost their lives in the fire.
The loss of human life is constantly on our mind.
Of the dead, 38 were prison guards.
They were on their way to evacuate a mountain top prison.
The fire surrounded their bus on a narrow edged mountain curve.
The monument that has been placed at the scene of the accident -
draws many visitors.
It is obvious that the State will commemorate those that lost -
their lives in such a big accident.
The monument, funded partly by the Jewish National Fund, -
stands to tell future generations of what took place.
The series of events that took place is recorded on the monument.
Each person can interpret the monument in their own way.
I see a flame that is threatening Beit Oren Kibbutz, opposite of it.
The forest caretakers have learned a lot from the wildfire.
First, I learned that the protection of the habitations and the forest -
must be planned with care.
Tree-free zones must be left around the habitations and forest -
to stop the fire from spreading.
These zones will also aid the arrival of the fire-fighters and -
the fire equipment to the area.
Last August, a zone like this saved the settlement of Tivon.
The flames died down and the fire-fighters made it there on time.
We decided not to plant a new forest. We want to observe -
the natural regeration of the forest and flora in the area.
Local Jerusalem pine trees grow from seeds.
Holly oaks, pistachio and strawberry trees regrow from the roots.
Tree-planting is not needed in places where regrowth has begun.
Thinning of the new tree seedlings and the natural flora is only done -
when it is necessary.
Most of the burned forest land regenerates naturally.
Our task is to direct the growth.
The round plastic cones are miniature greenhouses -
that have been developed in England and Australia.
We started using them here.
It gives the tree seedling a cooler, damper environment in the summer.
At the end of the first summer when the seedling peeks out of the cone -
the plastic can be removed.
The support stick is unnecessary after two years when the -
seedling starts to cope on its own.
This accelerates the growth of the tree seedling.
Exceptionally heavy winter rainfall accelerated the regeneration -
of the forest trees in 2013.
The winter has been very good.
The average yearly rainfall in the Carmel area is 500 - 550 mm.
We almost reached that in the beginning of February.
Any rainfall after that has been an added bonus.
Despite all the good signs, it will take Mount Carmel time to recover.
It will take the forest about 30-40 years to fully recover.
The trees that were burned in the fire were 30-50 years old.
We can read this from the places where the trees were spared.
It will take a long time before the forest is fully grown and starts -
to attract people for hiking.
The shape of the forest will be visible within five years.
It will take 30-40 years before the shade of the trees can be sat in.
The forest caretakers have taken this as an opportunity to enrich -
the tree species in the area. They also plan on planting fruit trees.
Fruit trees have grown on the mountain decades and centuries ago.
The tree seedlings will be protected by fences. Flocks of sheep will be -
let into the area to graze and eat rivalling undergrowth.
There has been and probably will be wildfires every few years.
The forest caretakers will continue to care for the trees they love.
The fieldworkers of our organisation are very commited to their work.
Outdoor work, the forest and moving about on the land means a lot to us.
We really enjoy our work, even if we don't see the results right away.
It is said a forest caretaker plants a forest for their grandchildren.
We see the beginning but few get to see the fully grown -
trees and forest during their own lifetime.
We have to have patience and love for what we do.
This is long-term work.
Yemin Orde Youth Village is located on the west slope of Mount Carmel.
It was established in the 1950's to receive and support Jewish -
youth who had made the aliyah.
During the 2010 wildfire, residents were evacuated from their homes.
Tens of homes, of both the staff and youth, were destroyed in the fire.
In February 2013 we went to visit the Village to see how it was doing.
We also met the leader Benny Fisher.
Yemin Orde is an educational community for immigrant youth.
As is seen from the flag we have youth from 20 different countries:
CIS - countries, Ethiopia, Brazil...
The part of the population that is dealing with an immigration crisis.
Their whole family is struggling with the language and the culture.
The difficulties usually lead to behavioural problems.
In the Village we support them and their education in many ways.
We provide them with content for their early years that will help -
them adjust to the Israeli society.
Today Shimon Salomon, who moved from Ethiopia and grew up here, -
will pledge his vows as a member of Parliament.
This shows that everything is possible.
The wildfire caused a breaking point for everyone in the Village.
We have a 60-year perspective but we are taking it one day at a time.
This breaking point that occured during my time here, was -
undeniably traumatic and left scars.
However, we were spared from casualties.
Residential buildings that had youth living in them were destroyed.
Many lost important photographs.
Orphans from CIS - countries lived in one of the houses.
It was their only home.
When items with memories are burned, it leaves scars that need to heal.
We have to put things into pers- pective and look at what we have.
We could've stayed to grieve at the ruins and feel sorry for ourselves.
Many families lost their homes; children started showing symptoms.
The situation was very complicated. Now it is not so bad anymore.
Now as I talk about it again, the feelings are starting to rush back.
We have received strength from friends, supporters and citizens.
The appearance of the whole Village has changed.
We wanted to create a green environment quickly, so that the -
youth would not feel like they were living in the middle of a -
memorial or a construction site.
We tried to continue on with daily routines as normally as possible.
We are looking to the future.
The incident was a turning point and we will remember it on our -
special Yemin Orde-day, when we celebrate our anniversary.
It is also a day of thanksgiving, on which we ponder our identity, -
the essence of our community -
and our contribution in the Israeli community.
Now that we are out there -
we have to have a message for our nation and for people in general.
Yemin Orde has a message.
Shagao Mekonen was the Rabbi and youth leader in the Village.
He had lived there for a few years with his wife and five children.
We met him 2 years ago after the fire had burned his home and possessions.
He doesn't live in the Village anymore, but he still works with -
the youth and helps them to keep good relations with their parents.
I still clearly remember the day when the leader called and told -
me that my house had burned down. It is something you can't forget.
Shagao found comfort in a story that he heard a long time ago.
The story tells about a Jewish community somewhere in Russia.
One man's house had burned down.
When people came to comfort him for the loss of his house and -
possessions, they found him smiling in the midst of the ashes.
The people had come to comfort a grieving man but he looked happy.
- Why are you smiling? We came to grieve with you.
- Only I can understand it.
Up until now, I have sat inside four walls.
Now I see a open heaven above me.
After the fire, the story came to my mind strongly. It is an old story -
but it has stuck with me since.
Instead of focusing on what I have lost, I must look out and upwards.
It happened. We must go on.
The time after the fire was hard for Shagao and his family.
We became migrants. We moved six times.
When we were able to finally get our own house, -
the move-in date was delayed.
The seven of us lived in a two bedroom barrack, with no -
living room or anything else.
We were shown how something good is really worth waiting for.
We had complications on the way.
Even though I don't go to the Youth Village as much anymore, -
it hurts to see the place where our old home used to be.
Even though the house isn't there anymore, I go see it.
I lived in it for 11 years.
Some trees that I planted were spared and they continue to grow.
Somehow, I automatically start to walk towards my home -
even though I will never arrive.
It seems to be part of the process that I am going through.
Even in my daily speech I go back to my old house.
I talk about it and repeat the story when I meet the youth.
All of this gives me strength and helps me with the process.
After the fire we asked Shagao why he thought God allowed -
this to happen to him. Back then, he wasn't so sure of the answer.
Now, two years later, he feels that he is starting to understand.
God has His ways. We have to do our own part as humans.
Sometimes he brings us low, so we can see our situation more clearly.
We must make our way up from there.
We can't just stay in the pit and let ourselves sink lower.
The Almighty shakes us, encouraging us to look at our condition.
I am not speaking on behalf of anyone else. This is just how -
God dealt with me and my family.
It was time for me to leave this place and continue onwards.
Ever since I immigrated here, I had mostly only been at Yemin Orde -
as a student or staff member.
My job here was over; it was time for me to go to new places.
I took it as a sign that it was my time to leave.
As Shagao tells his story, he shows us the only page that is -
left of his burned Bible.
It is from the Book of Zephaniah. It fits perfectly into his story.
Only two pages of the Bible were saved in the fire.
It was all that was left of my extensive library.
I have shared this many times.
"Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save on the day of -
the LORD's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the earth will be -
consumed for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth."
Nothing that we have gathered will help us when the fire burns.
The fire left me with this word.
There are also some words of hope on the next page.
"Seek the LORD all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, humility; maybe you will be sheltered on the -
day of the LORD's anger." The Lord will give us when we ask of Him.
The fire burned something from us. Now we have to ask.
Thank you Lord for giving us rain.
What happened to me, happened, but now I have my own house.
It would have taken time to get one. A year after the fire, I have it.
I feel a connection between these.
I speak from a lowly and humble position, but I believe -
that God's ways are right.
Translation: Hanna Österlund