A military helicopter deployed to extinguish a fire near the Tannourine Cedar Forest in northern Lebanon on Aug. 24, 2026. (Photo taken from the reserve’s Facebook page/Tannourine Cedars Forest Nature Reserve)
NORTH LEBANON — A large fire broke out on Monday on the outskirts of a forest called "Arz al-Bilad" in Lebanon's Tannourine Cedars Forest, our correspondent in the North reported. The forest is located between Tannourine, Hadath al-Jibbeh, and Kfour al-Arabi in the Batroun district.
According to entomologist Nabil Nemer, a member of the Tannourine Nature Reserve committee and head of scientific research at the site, the fire broke out in agricultural fields on the opposite slope to the reserve, near the village of Hadath al-Jibbeh. A valley therefore separates the source of the fire from the cedar forest, at least for the time being.
“The fire was probably caused by dry grass that farmers were burning in their fields. The Civil Defense and the army are on the scene trying to extinguish the flames,” he said. According to the scientist, the fire remains some distance from the reserve for the time being; it has been brought under control along the roadside but not entirely deep within the valley.
“The wind makes the spread of the fire unpredictable, but efforts are being made to contain it and prevent it from approaching the edge of the reserve,” he explained. Due to difficulties in accessing the flames, the Lebanese Army has deployed a military helicopter to the scene, which took off from Qleiaat airport — currently undergoing renovation — in Akkar.
The reserve is situated at the junction of Tannourine (Batroun) and Hadath al-Jibbeh (Bsharri), at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters. It is home to one of the largest cedar forests in Lebanon and is characterized by a high rate of cedar regeneration. In recent years, it has been attacked by a pest, necessitating management and protection plans for the trees, which are symbols of the country. Covering more than 12 km², it is one of the 14 reserves officially recognized by the Environment Ministry.
“Firefighters are continuing efforts to extinguish the blaze, contain the flames and prevent them from spreading, while field operations remain ongoing at the site,” the Civil Defense added. There was no immediate indication of what caused the fire.
The ancient forests of the Tannourine Cedars Reserve hold immense ecological and national value, as cedar trees — Lebanon’s national emblem — are becoming increasingly rare. Numerous wildfires have broken out across Lebanon this month, particularly in the North, amid high temperatures and strong winds.
A former front line from the Civil War
In a separate statement, the Civil Defense said one of its members sustained minor injuries when an old landmine exploded in the reserve. The member was taken to a hospital for treatment. According to the statement, a rock fell onto the mine, triggering the explosion.
The "Arz al-Bilad" forest was a frontline during the Two-Year War in 1975-76 amid the Lebanese Civil War and was heavily mined. The Lebanese Army and the Mines Advisory Group made several attempts to clear safe paths through it, but not all of the mines have been removed to this day.
The chairman of the Tannourine Municipal Council, Yasser Nehmeh, has categorically denied reports suggesting that a mine dating back to the Civil War had exploded in the Tannourine Cedar Forest. What actually happened was “a rock falling from an oak tree, which had been affected by the fire in the Niha — Hadath al-Jibbeh — Kfour al-Arabi forest,” he told the state-run National News Agency (NNA). The elected representative stated that the municipality is working with all relevant services to contain the flames and prevent them from reaching the Tannourine Cedar Forest.
Several forest fires have broken out this month across Lebanon, particularly in the North, due to high temperatures, strong winds and drought. In 2022, fires had already threatened the Tannourine reserve. Firefighters and the Civil Defense regularly sound the alarm about the lack of resources available to them to tackle these incidents, whilst the fire season is only just beginning. The rainy season is not expected to begin until mid-October.
Additional reporting by our correspondent in north Lebanon, Michel Hallak.
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