1989 Mount Carmel forest fire

The fire extended over 6,000 dunams (600 ha; 1,500 acres), of which 3,200 dunams (320 ha; 790 acres) were natural forest areas of Aleppo pine which were part of the Carmel National Park and Nature Reserve, causing considerable damage to the flora and wildlife.

The weather conditions and mountainous topography of the area increased both the speed at which the fire spread and its intensity, making it difficult to extinguish.

Later, when the wind direction changed at night time, the fire moved southwest towards the "Little Switzerland" area (so called for its resemblance to the landscapes of Switzerland) in the Carmel National Park, Kibbutz Beit Oren and the Damun prison facility, completely destroying nearby breeding and reacclimation centers.

They were assisted by 250 IDF soldiers, agricultural aircraft, volunteers of the Jewish National Fund and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, as well as police, Municipality of Haifa and MDA forces.

About 3200 dunam (790 acres) were of natural forest areas, which caused considerable damage to the flora and wild life.

The area west of the University of Haifa which burnt up in the 1989 Mount Carmel forest fire, as seen in December 2010