Fire in Rabweh. (Credit: Civil Defense spokesperson)
BEIRUT — A fire erupted in forests in the area of Rabweh (Metn) on Monday and spread to the vicinity of residential houses in the area, civil defense spokesperson Elie Khairallah told L'Orient Today.
According to the spokesperson, a large number of Civil Defense vehicles and personnel are currently trying to extinguish the fire.
Moreover, the Civil Defense communicated with the Lebanese Army to send a helicopter to help extinguish the fire. Khairallah said that Civil Defense vehicles could not reach some spots because the area is very rugged.
Asked about the cause of the fire, the spokesperson said that "usually such fires are man-made," adding that they can be intentional or unintentional. He added that the wind speed has been so strong today, which accelerated the spread of the fire towards the buildings.
After the fire spread to the vicinity of some residential buildings, he said that the Civil Defense Director General Raymond Khattar asked to focus on keeping the fire away from the residential buildings.
The spokesperson finally said that "all efforts are being made to control the fire as soon as possible."
