At least 40 people were killed in what officials described a historic "firestorm" near Israel's port city of Haifa on Thursday.

A massive forest fire is seen in the Carmel Forest near the Israeli northern city of Haifa, Dec. 2, 2010. At least 40 people are dead in what officials describe as a historic "firestorm" that broke out early Thursday in the Carmel mountain range overlooking the city. [JINI/Xinhua]

A bus loaded with police and prison guards heading to a security prison near the conflagration lost control and turned over, prison service officials said, adding the guards were trying to reach the endangered Damon facility to help evacuate the prisoners.

Around 500 prisoners in the Damon prison were reported to have been safely evacuated earlier in the afternoon.

Magen David Adom rescue crews and firefighters fought to reach survivors trapped in the vehicle among the flames.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Thursday asked a few European countries to send firefighting aircraft to help fight the blaze. Ten planes are now on their way from Cyprus, Greece and Spain. Israel has no such aircraft of it's own by far.

There are reports of many casualties among the firefighters.

Netanyahu commended the firefighters and offered his condolences to the families of the victims in a live broadcast to the nation, and said "we should learn a lesson, in order to be able to deal with similar future events."

There are three major areas on fire as of 10:30 p.m. local time (2030 GMT), according to Channel Two television.

Fire officials told Army Radio that it was the worst fire they've dealt with in decades, adding that the fire may become one of the most severe natural disasters in Israel's history.

People injured in the blaze have been transferred to several hospitals across the north of the country, officials said.

The fire broke out early Thursday in the Carmel mountain range overlooking the city, which deteriorated into a huge blaze with thick smoke after several hours, forcing the evacuation of people from schools, houses and the nearby prison.

The spreading smoke and ash "looks like a nuclear mushroom cloud," one local resident told the Ynet news site Thursday afternoon.