A scene from one of the massive fires spread across Israel. Photo: Israel Fire and Rescue Authority Spokesman.

JNS.org – Six 17-year-old residents of the Galilee village of Jadeidi-Makr, who were arrested last week over their alleged involvement in setting fire to the nearby Ahihud Forest, were denied bail Monday and remanded to Israeli police custody for an additional four days. The suspects were arraigned before the Acre Magistrates’ Court.

The group was arrested after police detectives noticed a suspicious vehicle leaving a dirt path from the direction of a fire they had spotted in a grove near the forest. The detectives stopped the vehicle and took the six teens inside into custody. Planes were able to extinguish the fire before it spread.

According to figures from the Israel Fire and Rescue Services, firefighters battled 1,773 fires in open areas last week in the Jewish state. Arson is suspected in at least 25 of the incidents.