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Wildfires return to threaten Akkar residents and green spaces

Like the blazes that tore through Lebanon's rural villages and natural habitat in 2011, this one is fed by high winds and Civil Defence's lack of resource

A wildfire blazes in Bzal, Tuesday evening. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient-Le Jour)

BEIRUT — A major fire broke out Tuesday night and spread throughout the village of Bzal in Akkar, according to our correspondent in the area.

Here’s what we know:

•  Residents of the area have called on the Civil Defense team to put out the fire before the high winds cause it to spread.

•  In November, 2021, a series of fires tore through several of Lebanon's green regions, due in part to high temperatures and, according to Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, probable "criminal causes”.

•  Hundreds of hectares of woodland in Akkar were engulfed in flame last summer. In addition to natural factors like strong wind and the inaccessibility of some locations, Civil Defense has had to contend with a lack of equipment and financing thanks to the country's prolonged economic crisis, which adds to the challenges in combating wildfires.

BEIRUT — A major fire broke out Tuesday night and spread throughout the village of Bzal in Akkar, according to our correspondent in the area.Here’s what we know:•  Residents of the area have called on the Civil Defense team to put out the fire before the high winds cause it to spread. •  In November, 2021, a series of fires tore through several of Lebanon's green regions, due...