The economic and environmental damage caused by bonfires during Lag Ba’omer is estimated at around NIS 43 million, and is comparable to carbon emissions from approximately 70,000 vehicles during an entire year, according to a report by Chen Herzog of accounting and consulting firm BDO.
Herzog says that Israel has failed to regulate fires that cause property, environmental and health damage, especially to those with medical conditions such as asthma.
Environmental health damage is intensified where plastic products are burned in fires, causing the emission of dioxins, which are extremely toxic.
Further analysis by BDO shows that the last time bonfires were permitted during the Lag Ba’omer holiday was in 2018. They were banned in 2019 due to an exceptional heatwave, and in 2020 due to corona restrictions.
“When Lag Ba’omer falls in the week of Earth Day, we can only hope that despite the lack of government regulation, increasing environmental and public awareness will lead to a reduction in fires and environmental damage,” Herzog noted.