Green spaces gone up in smoke, burnt vehicles and a first victim: Lebanon faces, Tuesday, October 15, hundreds of fires throughout the country, caused by a heat wave accompanied by strong winds. A 32-year-old man died of a heart attack after helping civil defense teams fight the fire in his village.
According to military sources, most fires are now under control, except for those who declared themselves in Chouf, one of the most forested parts of the country, located southeast of Beirut. In its fight against fire, the Lebanese civil defense received the help of water bombers sent by Cyprus.
From Chouf to Akkar, via the Metn and the South, fires have moved closer to homes and power lines, leading to the closing of schools and universities. In the Shouf, the greatest fear is that the flames will reach the cedar reserve of the region. In some areas, the fires caused the explosion of mines dating back to the period of the civil war (1975-1990).
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday called for help from his neighbor Cypriot, who was quick to take part in the operations. He also sought help from Greece and Jordan, who said they were ready to lend their support to Lebanese civil defense.
The Interior Minister, Raya Hassan, met Monday at the Grand Serail, the residence of the Prime Minister, several security officials to assess the damage and take the necessary measures. The criminal track is being considered by the Minister of the Environment, Fady Jreissati, as well as by several politicians.
Lebanon has not experienced such fires for decades. Nearly 200 civil defense vehicles are engaged in operations alongside army helicopters.
The disaster revealed the existence of two Canadairs stationed at the Beirut airport but which proved to be out of service for lack of maintenance, which triggered a scandal in political circles.