Mount Carmel Forest Fires 2010 Presentation by KKL-JNF Northern Region

Carmel Fires 2010 KKL-JNF – Action Chronology On Thursday, December 2, 2010, at around 10:30 a.m., fire broke out west of the Druze town of Usfiya. At 11:00 a.m., following his assessment of the fire, the Carmel forester, Ya’akov Arak, urgently requested emergency intervention from KKL-JNF. At 12:45, the head of the KKL-JNF firefighting division, Rami Zaritzky, boarded a police helicopter to observe and evaluate the situation. On Thursday afternoon it was decided to mobilize all fire trucks and manpower from the KKL-JNF regions to the Carmel (two fire engines from the central region and one from the southern region). 12 KKL-JNF fire engines were employed. Other KKL-NJF vehicles were used for logistics and transporting manpower. Total number of firefighters: 125 during the day and about 25 at night. The KKL-JNF director of the northern region and that of the western Galilee were part of the Israel National Emergency Management Center. The KKL-JNF teams initially focused on defending the planted forests in the Usfiya area. Towards Friday evening, they focused on the region between Nir Etzion and the Ya’arot Hacarmel Hotel.

Carmel Fires 2010 KKL-JNF – Chronology Toward Thursday afternoon control maps were transferred to the on-site KKL- JNF firefighters and the arriving teams, including the firefighting services and the defense forces. Information resources were used, including thermal photos to locate sources of heat. During the whole operation, countless workers throughout the KKL-JNF organization offered to help. Due to the severity of the situation, their offers were denied.

Carmel Fires 2010 Areas of the Blaze

וככה זה נראה

Mount Carmel Forest Fires 2010 Summary ~ 8,650 acres were burned ~ 8,900 acres of planted forest tended by KKL-JNF, remained unharmed 12 fire trucks were used (6 from the north, 4 from the center, 2 from the south) 3 tankers, provided by contractors 2 tractors 125 KKL-JNF workers on morning shifts, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 25 KKL-JNF workers on night shifts

Carmel Fires 2010 Planning and Rehabilitation Planning and Rehabilitation Principles (drafted after the Carmel fires of 1989) Professional Committee on the Rehabilitation and Development of the Carmel - Recommendations 1.Comprehensive plan for the Carmel – rehabilitating and cultivating the landscape for public recreation and nature preservation, with attention to mitigating damage in the eventuality of future fires 2. Management planning according to area type 3. Management testing and accompanying research 4. Publicity

Carmel Fires 2010 Planning and Rehabilitation Planning and Rehabilitation Principles ( drafted after the Carmel fire of 1989) Professional Committee on the Rehabilitation and Development of the Carmel - Guidelines Rehabilitation of plants in the burned area 1.Rehabilitation of the burned forest will be based on the cultivation of natural regeneration, which has already begun. Wide-scale planting will not take place, as the natural, dense sprouting of pines in the burned area renders planting redundant. 2.A comprehensive publicity campaign will be launched in Israel and abroad on the appropriate means for rehabilitating the Carmel Forests. 3.The option of planting or sowing will only be available on intensive-use resort sites, for completion or variation of natural regeneration, according to a respective plan. 4.Species and varieties foreign to the Carmel, within areas reserved for natural vegetation, will not be planted. 5.The need for the collection and generation of plants, rare or unique to the Carmel, that were destroyed in the fires, will be examined for the purpose of returning them to the area. A preservation program will be undertaken, accordingly.

Carmel Fires 2010 Planning and Rehabilitation Planning and Rehabilitation Principles (drafted after the Carmel fire of 1989) Professional Committee on the Rehabilitation and Development of the Carmel Guidelines Rehabilitation of plants in the burned area 1.A comprehensive, long-term plan will be formulated for the rehabilitation of the Carmel Forests, including the principles of natural regeneration. 2.Thinning of areas of young pine trees, only after clarifying when and at what rate to thin the growth. 3.Pruning of broad-leaf trees, regenerated from shoots. 4.Grazing on the burned land will not be allowed in the first years, until the young trees are established. 5.Paths and hiking and education trails will be marked in the burned areas, and the public will informed as to the damage caused by walking outside the indicated paths.

Carmel Fires 2010 Planning and Rehabilitation Planning and Rehabilitation Principles (drafted after the Carmel fire of 1989) Committee on the Rehabilitation and Development of the Carmel - Guidelines Plant management and paths to reduce fires Plans include: 1.Improvement and development of roads and accessibility to fire trucks and firefighting teams, while avoiding damage to landscape and nature. 2.Wide firebreaks, with low flammability vegetation, to block even the most severe fires. Firebreaks will impede the spread of fires in areas with flammable growth, particularly thick forests, and will create a divide between them and residential and other areas. 3.Intensive management will be employed for designing the natural vegetation, to be maintained at a low flammable state, both in terms of the forests’ tree layers – by thinning, pruning and cleaning the pruned branches, and the undergrowth layers – through high-density grazing. 4.Additional means of creating firebreaks will be explored, such as controlled burning and rehabilitation of areas for traditional agriculture. 5.Controlled thinning and pruning and evacuating tree trunks in dense pine forests 6.Cattle, sheep and goat grazing will be allowed and encouraged in areas of the Carmel National Park, with attention to preservation of the landscape.

Carmel Fires 2010 – Cooperation Rehabilitation Teams A joint committee of four teams has been organized, comprising the Israel’s Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, KKL-JNF and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel KKL-JNF representation: Team for physical rehabilitation, including infrastructure and equipment – Yishai Soker Team for long-term ecological rehabilitation - Dr. Omri Bonneh and David Brand Team for mapping and G.I.S. – Yisrael Tauber Team for information and public relations – KKL-JNF Spokesperson

Carmel Fires Ahead of us, much work. But the catastrophe is behind us. What remains is to rehabilitate and build with humility and respect for nature, and an understanding of the environment. Many thanks to all the KKL-JNF workers who took part in this great effort. Thank you for your unwavering dedication.