Israel fire under control after four days

Firefighters say they have brought a four-day-old forest fire that has killed 41 people under control.

Earlier, politicians and pundits demanded the resignation of some officials for their failure to quell the inferno that killed mainly prison officer trainees who were going to evacuate 500 inmates to safety from a jail on the edge of the forest.

The flames also engulfed 12,000 acres of woodland, destroyed millions of trees and gutted dozens of homes.

A global effort to help Israel contain the fires went ahead, with Germany, Switzerland and Azerbaijan expected to join a dozen other nations that have sent in firefighting equipment.

Rakiya said 34 aircraft were helping to fight the fire, including a Boeing 747 Supertanker that arrived from the United States early on Sunday.

By far the biggest aerial firefighting weapon, it flew over the Carmel forest, pouring some 21,000 gallons of water and spraying reddish flame retardant over the fire.

Residents of the Haifa area were urged to shut their windows and avoid contact with smoke or the retardant suspected of causing several people skin irritation, media reports said.