Firefighters battling a fire in the forested areas of Bzal-Akkar, north of Lebanon, July, 26, 2024. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient Today)
A huge wildfire broke out Friday in the forested areas of Bzal Akkar, North Lebanon, quickly spreading towards the nearby forests in Habshit and Qabit, L'Orient-Le Jour's correspondent reported. The blaze remains uncontained.
Firefighting teams from the Civil Defense, stationed in Sadaqa, Bkarqayel, and Bebnine-Abdeh, are actively battling the flames. They are supported by the First Responder Team from the Union of Jurd al-Qaytaa Municipalities and nearby municipalities, which are supplying water to the firefighting units using agricultural water tanks.
According to our correspondent, winds blowing at over 50 km/h are making firefighting efforts challenging. Residents are urging the military to deploy helicopters to assist in controlling the fire, particularly in areas that firefighting vehicles cannot reach.
There are serious concerns that the fire could become an environmental catastrophe, as the firefighting teams on the ground are calling for additional crews and equipment to help curb the rapidly advancing flames.
In Qabit, the fire has surrounded a house, prompting its residents to call for help. An appeal has been made for the Red Cross to assist with the evacuation of the inhabitants.
The Bzal-Jurd Qaytaa road has been closed due to the fire, rendering it impassable and obscuring visibility with smoke. More than 12 firefighting vehicles from seven different centers are positioned at various points around the fire.
Caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin, who is closely monitoring the situation, indicated that a request has been made to the army command to dispatch a military helicopter to help control the flames.
