Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services reported on Thursday morning that their forces have gained control of the massive fire that has been raging since Wednesday morning in the forest areas near Beit Shemesh, in the Jerusalem hills. Over a hundred firefighting teams, aided by aircraft,  are still working to extinguish five remaining fires. However, all residents of three yishuvim near Beit Shemesh who were evacuated on Wednesday have been allowed to return to their homes and the roads in the area were reopened to traffic. “The incident is under control,”  Fire Commissioner Eyal Caspi announced: “I toured the area and was in all areas. The incident will end in the coming hours.” Many forces operated throughout the night, including KKL teams, the Nature and Parks Authority, security squads and volunteers. The Fire Commissioner praised the cooperation between all parties and emphasized their contribution to saving lives and property. It is estimated that about 10,000 dunams [2,500 acres] of forests and fields have been burned. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)