Day three of the Carmel fire, Saturday, Dec. 3, began with more than a dozen foreign planes at first light dumping seawater and retardant substances on the flames and smoke, which again engulf Beit Oren, the artists village Ein Hod, Nir Etzion and Isfiya fanned by scorching winds. The giant Russian Il-76s which went into action with 46 Russian experts leads the battle carrying 42 tons of water in each sortie.
The bodies were recovered of two Northern District police commanders, Ido Nahshon from Pardess Hanna and Yizhak Melina, from Haifa, the fireman Uri Semandayov, from Mishmar HaEmek, and the 16-year old volunteer from Haifa, Elad Riban. Haifa commander Ahuva Tomer is still in serious condition.
The northernmost fires, which erupted Saturday at Manara and Margaliot near Kiryat Shemona and the Galilee Panhandle, set off explosions in a nearby minefield. The Manara-Margalit road is closed.
Black stumps and charred land are all that remain of 10,000 acres of nature reserve, parks and woodland of the northern Carmel range. Four million trees, some rare species, were lost despite the efforts of the Nature and Parks Authority and Jewish National Fund personnel. The Hay Bar open zoo is threatened although the animals are still safe.
Two American planes are due Saturday with supplies of fire-extinguisher materials and materials. President Barack Obama phoned Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Friday night and promised all possible assistance. Greek, Cypriot, Bulgarian, British and Turkish planes and volunteers are already in action along with fire trucks and firemen from neighboring Jordan and Egypt. French and Spanish planes are on the way.
The Fire Brigade’s entire national force of 400 firefighters mobilized Thursday are all still on duty. Seventeen villages, kibbutzim and other locations have been evacuated and housed in temporary shelters. All 40 Prison Services warder cadets trapped in flames Thursday have been identified.
WarSclerotic 
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