Israeli firefighters are battling a massive wildfire west of Jerusalem that has burned 2,000 hectares of forest over the past three days.<br />'' <br />''The blaze appeared to have been brought under control on Sunday night but strong winds and low humidity caused it to regain intensity on Monday.<br />'' <br />''Authorities were forced to evacuate about 2,000 residents of nearby towns and villages as a precaution. Israel's foreign minister also asked neighbouring countries for help.<br />'' <br />''Greece and Cyprus responded with offers to send firefighting aircraft, officials said, though it was not clear if they would be needed.<br />'' <br />''On Tuesday morning, firefighters were reportedly racing to put out dozens of hotspots, with winds forecast to pick up in the afternoon.<br />'' <br />''The blaze sent a plume of thick black smoke over Jerusalem, and residents have been advised to limit their outdoor activity because of the very high pollution levels.<br />'' <br />''The wildfire is one of the largest in Israel's history, but so far no-one has been killed. In 2010, 44 people were killed by a fire on Mount Carmel, in the north of the country, that burned 2,500 hectares.<br />'' <br />''Fire and Rescue Services Commissioner Dedi Simchi has said the fire was caused by humans, but investigators do not know yet if it was arson or negligence.<br />'' <br />''Its rapid spread has been aided by the dryness of the vegetation in the Jerusalem Hills after a relatively dry winter and a hot summer.<br />'' <br />''Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg warned during a visit to a fire service command centre, according to the Times of Israel.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.</span><br />