Firefighting planes sent to Israel amid major blaze

SEVERAL countries were sending firefighting aircraft to Israel on Thursday as crews battled for a second day to extinguish a wildfire that had shut down a major highway linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and sent drivers scrambling from their cars.

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The fire broke out around midday in the hills outside Jerusalem on Wednesday, fueled by hot, dry conditions and fanned by strong winds that quickly whipped up the flames burning through pine forests.

Several communities were evacuated as a precaution as the smoke turned the skies over Jerusalem gray. Many of the country's independence day celebrations were cancelled as security forces were diverted towards the fire.