A heavy fire broke out Saturday morning in the outskirts of the village Akkar el-Attika in an area called al-Marahat. The residents called out the authorities to intervene quickly before the fire spreads and reaches agricultural lands and houses. The Civil Defense and the Lebanese Army were immediately mobilized to contain the spread.
In a statement the Civil Defense confirmed that its “members reinforced with vehicles are currently working in coordination with army units deployed on the ground. They are being supported by an air force helicopter since 9:00 a.m. to put out the fire.”
“We are facing several difficulties in extinguishing the fire due to the lack of roads and the abundance of slopes, which hinders the access of firefighting vehicles. Additionally, the speed of the wind has caused the fire to spread,” added the Civil Defense in its statement.
Later in the day, the Ministry of Agriculture announced in a statement that “forest officers from the Ministry of Agriculture in the region along with teams from the Civil defense immediately headed to the scene to put out the fire.”
The ministry urged citizens to “be cautious while moving in forested areas and take necessary precautions to prevent harmful fires that endanger lives and forest resources. They should also follow the guidelines issued by the ministry of Agriculture and other relevant ministries.”
The concerned authorities along with firefighters and rescue teams were called upon to “remain prepared to assist in mitigating the risks associated with the occurrence of a fire.” The citizens were requested to immediately report any fire “to allow for timely response by civil defense personnel, aiming to minimize the damage to Lebanon’s green areas,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Agriculture concluded its statement by affirming the readiness of all its departments and forest officers to fulfill their duties despite the limited resources in recent years. It assured citizens that it would work with full capacity and capabilities “to ensure the protection and preservation of Lebanon’s forest resources.”
Last summer, many fires broke out in Lebanon. According to the Director of the Civil Defense Raymond Khattar “95 percent of fires in Lebanon are caused by man, intentionally or otherwise.” Illegal loggers have benefitted from the fire-damaged forests to cut down more trees, as was the case in Akkar when cars, trucks, and tractors reportedly gathered at the site of the blaze to collect the burnt wood amid the prevailing economic crisis.
