Fire breaks out in Remhala, Aley

BEIRUT — The Civil Defense stated in a report that it is working to extinguish a fire that broke out on Sunday morning in the village of Remhala, in the Aley district.

Following the outbreak of the fire at the bottom of a valley at 10:10 a.m., firefighting teams, supported by units from the Lebanese Army, rushed to the site, according to the statement.

"Reinforcements were deployed from 12 centers, with 12 firefighting vehicles and around 70 Civil Defense personnel. The personnel also worked to create an artificial pond to collect water, enabling a Lebanese Army helicopter to assist in the firefighting efforts," the statement reads.

The Civil Defense added that the teams faced several challenges, most notably the lack of access roads to the fire's location, which made it difficult for vehicles to reach the site. Additionally, strong winds contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

"The concerted efforts of the personnel resulted in keeping the danger away from residential homes in Remhala", the statement adds.

"Operations are still ongoing to fully control the fire in a valley connecting the towns of Ramhala and Silfaya, as well as along the side of Jisr al-Qadi, to prevent it from spreading to neighboring forested areas."

In a separate statement, the Civil Defense warned that the risk of forest fires will "remain high until at least Wednesday" as a result of weather conditions.