An extreme heat wave blanketing Israel has curtailed traditional Lag b’Omer bonfires throughout the country.
Temperatures on Wednesday hovered in the high 90s and are forecast to climb as high as 110 to 115 Fahrenheit by Friday throughout most of the Jewish state. The hot and dry weather has led to fears of widespread fires.
Israel’s Fire and Rescue Service announced that bonfires only be lit in areas designated by local municipalities. Bonfires are also banned in national parks and nature preserves, several of which were closed outright ahead of Lag b’Omer.
The Darga, Qumran, Og and Prat national parks, each containing an eponymous riverbed that feeds into the Jordan Valley, are closed to visitors from Wednesday through Friday.
