A wildfire in Akkar, North Lebanon, June 10, 2023. (Courtesy of Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — Firefighting teams Saturday morning brought under control a huge wildfire in Akkar, North Lebanon, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region reported.
Caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin had warned that Lebanon is facing increased fire risk as the country witnesses "hot and dry weather accompanied by strong winds."
The wildfire, the causes of which remain unknown, broke out on Friday in a valley in the outskirts of the town of Bezal in Akkar.
Firefighters from the civil defense centers in Berqayel, Halba, Sadaqa, and Bebnin-Al-Abdah, as well as the first responders team in the Union of Municipalities of Jurd Al-Kaytaa and the Akkar Trail Association, were deployed to the scene, our correspondent said.
The firefighting operations are ongoing, as rugged and steep terrain are complicating the firefighters' work. Hot dry northerly winds have contributed to the catastrophic expansion of the fire's surface area .
Efforts are continuing to extinguish the fire completely, as some focal points are still ablaze.
Lebanon has already experienced wildfires in 2023, including a major blaze in the north in March that first responders struggled to control.
The north and Akkar are particularly prone to forest fires and are home to large swaths of forested areas. Civil Defense teams and volunteer groups often intervene to extinguish fires but face equipment shortages of due to Lebanon's economic crisis.
Additional reporting by Michel Hallak