The wildfire burning through the Akkar forests is expanding to a terrifying degree. This follows two other fires that erupted on Thursday in Qubayyat, Andqet and al-Qamo’ah, burning more than eight hectares of forest land.
A fire erupted Friday in the Shalfa area in the town of Qubayyat in Akkar, spreading to the nearby lands of the town of Harar. The flames spread rapidly, reaching the main street in Harar. Civil defense teams, the Jurd Al-Qayta Union of Municipalities First Responder Team and members of the local population are all working together to extinguish the fire, which has been difficult to control. Calls have been made to locals to assist in securing water in any way they can.
The #wildfire burning through the #Akkar #forests is expanding to a terrifying degree. pic.twitter.com/PSGnlyO1VG
— This is Beirut (@ThisIsBeirut_) September 15, 2023
Upon the directive of the President of the Jurd Al-Qayta Union of Municipalities and the Governor of Akkar, lawyer Imad al-Labaki, a crisis cell has been activated with headquarters in Harar. It includes representatives from the Lebanese Army, Civil Defense, the Red Cross, and the First Responder Teams, Union of Municipalities of Jurd Al-Qayta–Akkar–Lebanon, and the First Responder Team–Union of Municipalities of Jurd Al-Qayta.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Red Cross in the town of Harar and Civil Defense teams are evacuating residents from surrounding houses to escape the thick smoke choking the air. It has been reported that the Red Cross has provided assistance to several residents of the area who suffered from cases of suffocation.
A Lebanese Army patrol has just arrived at the fire site, and preparations are underway to install an industrial pool in preparation for the arrival of a military helicopter to contribute to firefighting operations.
The fire in Bisri
Meanwhile, the Civil Defense is also working to extinguish a fire that erupted in a rugged forest area between Bhanin, Batr and Saba–Shouf. The teams have been reinforced with vehicles and the support of Army units that have been deployed in the area since 11:30 AM today, Friday.
Personnel are facing several difficulties due to the inaccessibility of the region, as there are no direct roads leading there, and the hills and slopes hinder the smooth arrival of firefighting equipment. Additionally, wind speed is only helping the fires pick up speed.
Repeated warnings from the Ministry of Environment
The Ministry of Environment has repeatedly warned citizens to take caution and follow safety guidelines, not to unsafely dispose of any grass or other waste, and to avoid starting fires from any source near forest, grass and agricultural areas.
Earlier, security forces posted a video on their X account with guidelines on how to prevent forest fires, especially in light of the heatwaves affecting various countries around the world, as part of the “Fire with Deficit” campaign.
The flames surpassed the fence due to the hot weather, affecting agricultural lands and dry grass in the adjacent fields.
The civil defense from the Rashaya al-Foukhar and Hasbaya centers worked to extinguish it.
At the same time, a large fire erupted in Terbol, in the Zgharta district. Flames are spreading rapidly, approaching the nearby town of Alma.
The Lebanese Army supporting the Civil Defence
