Hundreds flee homes as Israeli firefighters tackle blazes near Jerusalem

An Israeli soldier carries a box of sandwiches as he walks with a fellow soldier through the Machane Yehuda market under a sky darkened by nearby wildfires, in Jerusalem (Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

Israeli firefighters battled wildfires near Jerusalem for a second day after the blaze forced hundreds of residents from their homes.

Israel Fire and Rescue service said in a statement that 45 firefighting teams accompanied by eight planes were working to contain five fires in the forested hills west of the city.