A fire burns in the Batroun area on Monday. (Credit: Facebook / @ CivildefenseLB)
BEIRUT — Environment Minister Nasser Yassin said Monday that the wildfires that broke out in several areas of the country since Saturday “are of human origin” and called for the continuation of the investigations launched by the Interior Ministry into the cause of the blazes as well as the arrest of those responsible for them, the state-run National News Agency reports.
Here’s what we know:
• Following a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati after assessing the situation of the ongoing fires on the ground, Yassin remarked that while climate conditions caused the fires to spread, “we are sure that all of these fires are man made … and are most probably due to the burning of grass.” He added that “some of them were intentional and this is what the Interior Ministry’s investigation is working on.”
• On Monday afternoon, the Civil Defense said that its members are working putting out fires in several areas, including in Kafr Qahel in the Koura district, Baqsmaya in Batroun and Betshay in Baabda. The Civil Defense added that it has successfully extinguished fires in places in the Bekaa, Nabatieh and in the Beirut area of Karantina.
• Wildfires raged in Lebanon over the weekend, with one blaze in the Mount Lebanon area of Beirut Mery blowing ash as far distant as Beirut.