Civil defense truck preparing for an operation. (Credit: @CivilDefenseLB/Twitter)
BEIRUT — A fire in a factory near the airport road in Beirut's southern suburbs has been ongoing since Tuesday night, as the Civil Defense members continue to fight the flames.
Authorities expect to "completely" extinguish the fire "in a few hours,” a Civil Defense spokesperson told L’Orient Today.
One Civil Defense member died Tuesday night during the firefighting operation while four others were injured, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The deceased was buried Wednesday in his hometown Harouf, in Nabatieh, South Lebanon.
“We are working to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings,” the spokesperson said. As of Wednesday evening, the fire remained contained to the factory.
تنعي المديرية العامة للدفاع المدني المتطوع المثَّبت محمد جهاد بيدي من عديد مركز حارة حريك العضوي الذي استشهد في الخدمة بتاريخ ٠١-٠٨-٢٠٢٣ إثناء تأديته لواجبه في إخماد حريق داخل مستودع. pic.twitter.com/9gvDxYLxn9
— الدفاع المدني اللبناني (@CivilDefenseLB) August 2, 2023
The reasons behind the fire remain unknown, the spokesperson added.
Last week, Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud issued a series of measures aimed at reducing the risk of fires amid Lebanon's ongoing heatwave.
In a statement, Abboud said that the Beirut Fire Department has been placed on "maximum alert" and is "ready to respond without delay."
He emphasized the importance of keeping water reserves at their maximum levels to enable firefighters to intervene quickly and effectively.
On July 11, the Ministry of Environment and Civil Defense warned of an increased fire risk in most regions of Lebanon due to high temperatures.
