Thousands of Israeli rescuers and firemen backed by fire crews from around the globe yesterday battled to conquer the biggest inferno in Israel’s history, which has already killed 41 people.

As high winds drove the blaze towards the northern port city of Haifa, police and medics said they had found 41 bodies, but they were still searching and the number of dead could still rise.

Of the 17 injured, three were in serious condition and one was critical, police said.

By nightfall yesterday, more than 17,000 people had been evacuated from their homes and the fire had incinerated more than 10,000 acres of land, with the flames reaching the southern outskirts of Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city.

But Chezi Levy, spokesman for the Haifa fire service, said the flames were being brought under control in some areas. “We are cautiously optimistic,” he told army radio. “The fires are dying down everywhere except in the southern front where the flames are still high and remain strong, which is where we are concentrating our efforts.”

Officials said most of the dead were prison guards on board a bus, who had been trying to evacuate inmates from a facility in the forest.

“The bus tried to turn around and some tried to get away but they were caught by the fire from two different directions,” police spokes-man Mickey Rosenfeld said, saying two police officers and a third person were still missing.