A fire broke out in the Safinet al-Qaitaa forests in Akkar. Photo provided by our correspondent in the North, Michel Hallak.
Fires that had broken out last Sunday in the Safinet al-Qaitaa forests in Akkar flared up again on Saturday, our correspondent in northern Lebanon, Michel Hallak, reports.
Last Sunday, a large-scale fire started in the town of Ouyoun al-Samak, along the banks of the Nahr al-Bared River, on the border between Akkar and Minyeh-Dinnieh. The flames spread quickly due to strong winds, reaching the pine forests and olive groves of Safinet al-Qaitaa.
Several Civil Defense centers, supported by army helicopters and the rapid-response team of the Darb Akkar association, continued their efforts on Saturday to contain the blaze. While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, it has raised serious questions and strong suspicions, with some suggesting it may have been a “deliberate and premeditated act,” according to our correspondent.
Four Civil Defense rescuers suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to Jebtour Hospital in Hrar for treatment. Efforts continue to control the fires.
The flames caused significant material damage, severe losses in forest resources, and environmental devastation in the region, leaving the land reduced to ashes and barren soil, making short-term rehabilitation difficult. Environmental activists have called on authorities to open an investigation to clarify the cause of these recurring fires and to punish anyone found responsible.
On Monday, two large-scale fires broke out in Akkar, threatening wooded and agricultural areas. The first erupted in the town of Mamnaa, while the second occurred in a steep ravine in Halba, affecting olive groves.
Since the beginning of summer, numerous wildfires have devastated several regions of Lebanon, particularly in August, which saw an exceptional heatwave following an unusually dry winter.
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