CIvil Defense first responders extinguishing a fire at a warehouse in the Chweifat area around Beirut. (Credit: Civil Defense's media office.
BEIRUT — Civil Defense first responders successfully brought a fire at a feed warehouse in Choueifat under control on Saturday after almost two days straight of battling the flames.
Civil Defense released a statement saying the teams are now cooling down the entire warehouse to ensure that the fire does not reignite.
An alert went out at 3 p.m. on Thursday, a firefighters responded immediately, with the support of Beirut's southern suburbs fire brigade, as the strength of the blaze became apparent, reinforcements were called in from various centers across Lebanon.
The 5,000-square-meter warehouse contained tons of highly flammable fodder and the flames quickly spread throughout the facility. Fifteen workers who had fled to the roof of the building to escape the flames inside were rescued by Civil Defense teams, who also evacuated some cows from the warehouse.
General Director of Civil Defense Raymond Khattar oversaw the firefighting efforts and emphasized in the statement the importance of adhering to public safety guidelines in order to avoid unnecessary risks.
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said he closely monitored the operations, commending the Civil Defense personnel for the risks they take and their dedication. He specifically noted that firefighting teams have still managed to respond promptly, despite a significant increase in emergencies due to the ongoing heatwave. In the past 24 hours alone, there have been 191 firefighting operations, Civil Defense said.
Civil Defense teams have continued to tackle fires in various locations throughout Lebanon, including grassy areas in Shheem, Rashaya al-Wadi, Sahmar, and a wheat field in Zahle, as well as a house fire in Bashoura.
In parallel to the surge of firefighting operations, missions continue along the southern border, where Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire for more than eight months now. The Civil Defense's operations in the south are coordinated with the Lebanese Army and, according to the statement, its teams were deployed Saturday to carry out a rescue operation following an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Bint Jbeil. The strike targeted a motorcycle on which two men were riding. One, a Palestinian, was killed, and the other, a Lebanese, was wounded and taken to hospital.