Fires brought under control in Akkar, Batroun region

Several fires that broke out Tuesday in Akkar and the Batroun region of northern Lebanon have been brought under control, reports our correspondent in the North.

A fire believed to be of criminal origin was contained in a forested area in the locality of Shadra, Akkar. Civil Defense personnel, supported by a Lebanese Army helicopter and local residents, were able to extinguish the flames.

The Shadra municipality thanked "the young people of the village who mobilized to put out this criminal fire, the Civil Defense center and its volunteers for their efforts, as well as our valiant army which, as always, has been a support and a solid bulwark to protect our people and our land."

It added that it would follow up on the case "in cooperation with the appropriate agencies, until those responsible are prosecuted and the harshest penalties are imposed on them."

Another fire broke out again on Tuesday in the forests of Jurit al-Shair, on the heights of Qobeiyat in Akkar, consuming further stretches of fir, cedar and wild pine trees. Civil Defense personnel and residents managed to put out the blaze, and cooling and monitoring operations are ongoing.

Another fire that had erupted in the Batroun region, on the banks of the Nahr al-Joz river, was contained after intervention by Civil Defense and an army helicopter, according to our correspondent.

Over the past 24 hours, Civil Defense carried out 59 firefighting operations in Lebanon, including 39 brush fires, one forest fire and two house fires, according to its press release published Tuesday morning.

The heatwave that hit Lebanon on Friday, Aug. 8, triggered a number of wildfires across the country for a week, especially in Akkar. While it has now passed, temperatures remain high and the wind continues to blow, increasing the risk of wildfires spreading.

Since the beginning of summer, numerous disasters have devastated Akkar. On July 15, the Environment Ministry launched a $3.5 million risk management initiative aimed at reducing the likelihood of wildfires in vulnerable areas. In April, Greenpeace warned about the potential for fires in Lebanon, describing them as "an alarming sign of the worsening effects of climate change in the region."