A forest fire in Akkar, on July 29, 2024. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — After a relentless four-day battle, firefighters have finally extinguished the raging forest fires that had been sweeping through the upper Akkar Governorate, our correspondent reported.
With the support of the Lebanese Army's helicopters, the firefighting teams from the Civil Defense, the Lebanese Army, the First Responder Team of the Union of Jurd Qayta Municipalities and the Darb Akkar Firefighting Team were able to bring the situation under control, after the flames had engulfed an estimated 30 hectares of land with significant damage to olive groves, vineyards and fig trees in their peak seasons.
The fires had surrounded more than 13 residential units in the three affected towns, prompting the Civil Defense and Lebanese Red Cross teams to evacuate the residents to safety.
Fifteen members of the firefighting teams, who have been working tirelessly through the night and into this morning to combat the blazes, were injured due to shortness of breath and fatigue. Lebanese Red Cross teams had transported five of the injured to al-Habtoor Hospital in the town of Hrar.
A military helicopter started working to extinguish the fires at 7:00 a.m. today, as high temperatures and strong winds have been the main factors driving the rapid spread of the fires.
The Civil Defense teams in Habshit are now focused on cooling the remaining hotspots and maintaining a continuous monitoring process to prevent the fires from reigniting, our correspondent reported.
Adding to the difficulties of the extinguishing operations, the rugged terrain, lack of roads, and steep slopes in the area hindered the firefighting efforts, making it challenging for the teams to quickly bring the situation under control.
Environmental activists in the region have described the situation as "catastrophic," and counted on the exceptional support of the Lebanese Army, which deployed three helicopters to assist in extinguishing the fires in areas inaccessible to the ground teams.
Less than a week ago, another major fire broke out in green spaces and then spread to the Tall Jbeil forests, on the outskirts of the village of Meshmesh in Akkar, North Lebanon, before being brought under control.
Reporting contributed by Michel Hallak