(Hai Fa – Haifa and the surrounding area news corporation) The Kiryat Haim Fire and Rescue Station and the Haifa Municipality are working together this week on a large-scale operation to address a significant risk area in the eucalyptus grove near the Kiryat Haim Stadium. The operation includes pruning trees, clearing thick vegetation, removing debris, and opening access routes for fire and emergency vehicles.
A severe fire in the past revealed serious damage to the grove.
The current operation is being carried out following difficult operational events that occurred in the past, most notably a significant fire that broke out at the site in 2025. In that event, fire crews encountered serious access difficulties due to scattered piles of debris, tangled vegetation, and a complete blockage of the road around the perimeter of the grove. The severity of the situation necessitated the operation of aerial firefighting aircraft to prevent immediate danger to nearby homes. As a result, representatives of the Kiryat Station - Operations Officer Sergeant Eran Cohen and Fire Protection Officer Lahav Amir Tarabia - conducted field tours and preparedness operations together with representatives of the municipality, during which additional serious hazards were identified, including tangled vegetation that endangers electrical infrastructure, the lack of internal access roads, and the presence of street dwellers in the heart of the grove, which pose a real risk to human life in the event of a fire spreading.
Extensive field work has officially begun
Starting on November 3, 2026, field work in the grove officially began, including pruning eucalyptus trees and thorough cleaning of undergrowth, raising the landscape by pruning low branches and opening access routes for fire and emergency vehicles, as well as removing a large amount of waste, prunings, objects and plastic that posed an immediate fire hazard. The Kiryat Station welcomes the rapid and professional cooperation with the Haifa Municipality, including the Director of the Gardens and Landscape Department, Mr. Emil Diab, and the other professional parties. The goal of the joint move is to protect human life in nearby communities, enable the best operational response for the fire brigades, and provide a thorough response to the risk center.
A very beautiful grove. And an important green lung within the density of Kiryat. It's a shame that convenient access paths aren't arranged.
Complimenting the workers on the ground, but a fire on July 25, the cleanup on November 26, to say that this was rapid cooperation is a bit insulting…