An aerial photo showing the aftermath of the fire in the outskirts of the town of Andqet, in Akkar, northern Lebanon. (Photo provided by Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — The municipality of Andqet (Akkar) said on Wednesday that a fire that erupted in the area of Wadi al-Ain on the eastern side of the village on Sunday destroyed approximately 56,000 square meters of agricultural land and burned around 900 fruit-bearing trees.
According to a statement released by the municipality, a large number of forest trees such as pine and oak were burned, as well as olive, sumac and carob trees.
The municipality added that it began "conducting a comprehensive survey" immediately after the fire to assess "the damaged lands, identify plot numbers, owners’ names and the number of affected trees, in preparation for submitting this data to the relevant authorities or landowners when needed." "The municipality will also contact the concerned official bodies to explore the possibility of compensating those affected," the statement reads.
"The municipality considers the fire to have resulted either from gross negligence or deliberate action," it said, adding that it has "obtained preliminary information about several suspects, which it will report to the competent authorities to facilitate the investigation and determine responsibilities."
The municipality also called on all owners of damaged properties to "file official complaints with the relevant authorities, as the affected lands are considered private property, paving the way for the necessary legal procedures."
Lebanon is experiencing particularly high temperatures at the beginning of November, exceeding seasonal norms. Several fires broke out in Akkar during the summer, particularly due to the high temperatures the country experienced. Authorities struggled to contain fires that devastated large swaths of land in early August, especially around Qobeiyat, with residents seeing this as further evidence of government negligence.
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait
