Combat wildfires

Fire knowledge shared with Israel

"As demonstrated by recent fires in Australia and Los Angeles, preparing for wildfires is not just essential, it's a matter of life and death," says Timothy Wainright.

JNF Australia has partnered with Australian charity Operation Fire Support (OFS) to help communites along Israel's border regions.
JNF Australia has partnered with Australian charity Operation Fire Support (OFS) to help communites along Israel's border regions.

Australian volunteer bushfire fighting expert Timothy Wainwright has been providing communities along Israel’s border regions with the proper training and equipment required to combat wildfires.

Wainright, who is not Jewish, founded Operation Fire Support (OFS) and has partnered with JNF Australia’s Green Sunday to raise much-needed funds to safeguard Israel’s vulnerable communities from the threat of fires, including seven communities in the south and three communities in the north of the country.

“As demonstrated by recent fires in Australia and Los Angeles, preparing for wildfires is not just essential, it’s a matter of life and death,” said Wainright.

“In addition to providing top-quality firefighting equipment, it’s vital to ensure that communities receive assistance with wildfire hazard reduction and first responders receive proper training and are outfitted with fire-rated protective clothing, including helmets, goggles, smoke masks, gloves and boots.”

Hila Fenlon, a resident of Netiv HaAsara, a moshav located near the Gaza Strip, received fire safety training from OFS and was able to protect her farm.

“I saw my neighbours’ farms burnt to the ground and then OFS came,” she said.

“They brought us knowledge to see a fire that starts next to us and to be the first responders that can help. My workers on October 7 took all the equipment that we had, took all the knowledge that they had from being trained by OFS and they managed to save the farm.”

JNF Australia will be conducting its Green Sunday telethon in support of this vital project on February 9. For the first time, JNF will also be running a national 24-hour Giving Day, which begins at 1pm on February 12, where every donation made will be matched.

For more information visit jnf.org.au

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