For the third day in a row, wildfires raged in northern Lebanon’s Wadi Jahannam region. (Photo supplied by our correspondent Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — For the third day in a row, wildfires raged in northern Lebanon’s Wadi Jahannam region on Thursday, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the area reported.
Difficult terrain has made it challenging for firefighters to reach the site of the blaze. A fog bank that has lingered in the region for three days formed a barrier that is difficult to penetrate, which has disrupted the movement of helicopters and forced them against flying over the area.
Monitoring work continues at the outskirts of the fire site, where firefighting personnel from the Civil Defense, the first responder team in the Union of Municipalities of Jurd al-Qaytaa, the rapid intervention team in the Darb Akkar Association and resident volunteers are stationed, in case the fire spreads further.
Estimating the size and area of forest land affected by the fire has also become difficult to predict due to the current reality.
Several fires have broken out in northern Lebanon since the beginning of summer. While the causes of many remain unknown, the combination of drought and high temperatures creates conditions that facilitate the rapid spread of fire.
Reporting contributed by Michel Hallak