A fire in Baskinta on Aug. 20, 2022. (Credit: Twitter/@CivilDefenseLB)
BEIRUT — A fire that ravaged a pine forest near the village of Baskinta in the Metn area on Friday night and Saturday, and which is believed to be of criminal origin, reignited Sunday, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Here's what we know:
• An army helicopter intervened to try to overcome the flames, while residents and the Civil Defense fought the blaze on the ground.
• On Saturday, five Civil Defense teams and three army helicopters had tackled the fire, but their efforts appear to have been insufficient.
• Lebanese Forces MP for the region, Razi Al Hajj indicated via Twitter that the fire is of criminal origin, calling on the security forces to intervene "immediately" to apprehend the culprits. Meanwhile, the Director of the Civil Defense, Raymond Khattar, recalled that in Lebanon "95 percent of fires are caused by man, intentionally or otherwise."
• A forest fire was also reported on Sunday in Joun, in the Chouf, according to the Civil Defense. The flames were extinguished at 3:30 p.m. by Civil Defense teams but the blaze had already ravaged green spaces and fruit trees.
• Wildfires are common in Lebanon, especially during the dry summer season. Amid the country's economic crisis, firefighters and the Civil Defense are severely lacking in resources to combat fires.