Fire Destroys Large Part of Dead Sea Nature Reserve

AP ^ | AP-ES-05-31-05 1627EDT

[TheOtherOne]

Fire Destroys Large Part of Dead Sea Nature Reserve
The Associated Press
Published: May 31, 2005 JERUSALEM (AP) - Two-thirds of Israel's Ein Gedi nature reserve was destroyed by fire Tuesday, causing considerable damage to animal and plant life in the lush oasis sandwiched between the harsh Judean Desert and the Dead Sea.

Residents of Kibbutz Ein Gedi nearby said the fire covered the kibbutz in smoke, the Haaretz daily reported.

Tourists were evacuated from the area, but no injuries were reported.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Animal life in the reserve includes the deer-like ibex and hyrax, which resembles a guinea pig, as well as two species of fox, wolves, striped hyenas, and four leopards. It's an important location for migrating birds, too.

The reserve also is a crossroads of several Mediterranean, African and Asian plant communities, including the northernmost distribution of some Sudanian flora.

Also at risk are archaeological sites, including ruins from the Chalcolithic period about 4,000 B.C., when inhabitants first began to use copper. During the Byzantine period, the Jewish residents of the area built a synagogue there. Ein Gedi also is mentioned in the Bible.

AP-ES-05-31-05 1627EDT

[texasflower]

This is just horrible.

[Republicus2001]

any archaeological remains from 3000BC would not be affected by fire...on the contrary fire only hardens stone made objects (i.e. tablets)

[RoseofTexas]

That darn Bush is everywhere!! ;-]

[Lekker 1]

The "Dead" Sea...oh the irony.

[TheOtherOne]

[watchin]

I was there in February. It is (was?) an amazing place. It seems so out of place considering the surroundings.

I suppose the debate will now be, "Who started it? Was it Bush, or those darn Jews?"

[theDentist]

Ibex and hyrax and fox
Ibex and hyrax and fox
Ibex, Ibex, Ibex, Ibex,
Ibex and hyrax and fox
If ever a fire was bad it was
the fire on the Dead Sea because
because, because, because, because, Because!
Because of the natural disaster it was!

[ScreamingFist]

I've been there, it's a desert with some trees. Smoke blowing into the Kibbutz isn't any worse than the sand storms. All in all this is a big zero on the scale of important things.

[Cecily]

I've been there too, and there is a lot of plant life along the stream (all those wild goats gotta eat). I'm sorry to hear about the fire.

[Zathras]

I've been there too.
Same opinion.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[Calvin Locke]

In this case, wouldn't it be "That darn Burning Bush ..."?

[ScreamingFist]

I've been there too, and there is a lot of plant life along the stream (all those wild goats gotta eat). I'm sorry to hear about the fire.

You're right. Ein Gedi is a nice place and the residents maintain it well. I consider this a good thing, like low level burns in the Northwest U.S. The flora will recover.

[blanknoone]

Are they going to change the name to 'The Deader Sea'?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I guess they figured that the drought and the desert around the Dead Sea was not dry enough.
I hear a report about 8 months ago that there was sinkholes from the drought that they have over there all over the place around the south part of the dead sea.

[Gritty]

There was an article the other day that Palestinian terrorist groups were starting forest fires in Israel with the intention of doing as much damage as they could to the progress Israel has made in reforestation.

I'd bet when the full story is uncovered, the authorities will find this was done on purpose.

[RoseofTexas]

Hehhehehe...good one! :)