A series of large wildfires continues to burn in northern Israel for the second straight day, claiming the lives of at least 41 people in what Israeli officials are calling the nation’s worst wildfires in history.

Israeli officials suspect arson as the cause of the multiple fires burning in northern Israel and have informed local police chiefs to prepare for additional acts of arson.

Of the 41 people reported dead, 36 of them were prison guards from the Damon jail, a nearby prison. The guards were caught on their way to rescue inmates from the jail in the fire zone.

More than 17,000 people have been evacuated from the area. More than 8,600 acres have burned in two days.

The largest of the fires broke out Friday at around noon in the Tsur Shalom industrial area in Kiryat Bialik, on the outskirts of Haifa.

The BBC reported that specially equipped firefighting aircraft from Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and the UK are assisting Israeli firefighters after Israel's desperate plea for help.

Follow the Jerusalem Post here for breaking news on the fires.

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