Wildfires tear across Israel, Netanyahu calls arsonists 'terrorists'

Flames blaze in the woods as a wildfire rages in the northern city of Haifa, Israel November 24, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - Wildfires tore across central and northern Israel on Thursday, forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee the city of Haifa, as leaders blamed arsonists for some of the blazes and branded them terrorists.

Television pictures showed a wall of flames raging through central neighbourhoods of Israel's third largest city. Firefighters dowsed a petrol station with water as the blaze edged closer.