Firefighters race to put out blaze near Jerusalem ahead of winds

Crews entered their third day of fighting a huge fire in the forest-covered hills outside Jerusalem on Tuesday. While the blaze was mostly contained, firefighters were racing to extinguish dozens of hotspots amid fears that strong winds expected later in the day could whip up the flames again.

The blaze, one of the biggest near the city in recent years, forced the evacuation of thousands of residents of nearby towns. It has torched some 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of land since erupting on Sunday. The cause of the fire is suspected to be either arson or negligence.