Last update - 23:36 03/08/2006
The green war: Saving the Galilee's forests
By Zafrir Rinat

Visitors to the north after the war is over will have trouble recognizing what was once some of the region's most beautiful scenery. Tens of thousands of dunams of woodland and large nature reserves like Mount Meron and the Birya Forest have been burned by Katyusha rockets. Up against the dozens of fires that broke out was a small number of Israel Nature and National Parks Authority (INPPA) and Jewish National Fund personnel with limited means.

Busy protecting the region's communities, firefighters could not extend much help to these organizations. In almost every case, the day was saved by the 10 pilots of the Chim Nir crop-dusting company who switched their normal payload for fire retardant and attacked the fires again and again.

The Birya, Meron and Naphtali ridge forests and their surrounding woodlands suffered the severest blow. On a flyover of the region with the INPPA's head of safety, Shmulik Shapira, the blackened eastern slope of Mount Meron was all that was left to see of what until two weeks ago was a very impressive natural woodland.

"We fought the fire on Mount Meron for several days without let-up. About 2,000 dunams were burned," Shapira said.

INPPA rangers from Eilat to the Galilee who were called in to the breach until the firefighters could arrive on the scene had at their disposal a small water tank they had hitched to their vehicle. To this, they could attach a hose of about 100 meters long. "The rangers know how to reach the area and can put out the fires while they're still small," Shapira said.

In the area of the Hula Valley, the ongoing struggle was to stop the spread of fire to the reserve. The INPPA cleared a road in a grove to serve as a fire-break. On the edge of the reserve are two empty fish ponds that were completely burned.

In Nahal Orvim, on the slopes of the Golan, damage was severe where the streambed meets the Hula. Nahal Rosh Pina suffered a similar fate. From the air, the black stain could also clearly be seen in the Dalton streambed.

Grazing lands in the eastern part of the Upper Galilee were also hit, although Ofer Sivan of the Upper Galilee Regional Council says he believes the grasses will rejuvenate with the winter rains. The main problem is the economic damage to cattle growers, whose feed and fences were taken by the fire.

"In most cases, we were able to reach the area quickly with fire beaters and small engines to prevent the fire from spreading," Dr. Omri Boneh, head of JNF's northern district, says. "In the case of the Naphtali mountains, a small barrage of six Katyushas landed and within minutes the area was on fire and there was nothing to be done."

The fire was finally put out very close to the houses of Kiyrat Shmona.

According to Shapira, lovers of Galilee scenery do not know how much they owe to the Chim Nir pilots. "They spared no effort to put out the fires." he said.

"The average firefighter's shift lengthened to 16 hours and wore people out over time. Our equipment is getting worn out, too," Boneh said, "but we will keep at it even if the war turns out to take a few more weeks."

"The struggle against the fire is not only because of the scenery, which is cosmetic," Shapira said. "I believe the greatest ecological damage is because they destroy all habitats for flora and fauna. That includes burrows and nests and the whole system on which they depend. There are a lot of pine trees there, and when they burn, it's like a fuel fire burning. When there's wind, the fire jumps forward hundreds of meters and everything spreads quickly. I couldn't believe it was happening."