How much will it cost for Lebanon to reforest after wildfires?
Lebanon’s Civil Defense fought, with limited resources, a series of wildfires that ravaged the country.
BEIRUT — Lebanon was ravaged by a series of wildfires Oct. 14 around dawn. Active firefighting operations ended Oct. 17, with Brig. Gen. Raymond Khattar, the head of the Lebanese Civil Defense, announcing that Lebanon had overcome "the crisis that resulted in a very sad environmental disaster."
Lebanon has not seen such wildfires for decades. Thousands of hectares of green areas were destroyed as the fires spread. The most dangerous fire was in al-Mushrif in the Chouf district. The fire spread to neighboring areas and was followed by a huge fire in the woods of Mazraat Yachouh in the Metn district.
Khattar announced Oct. 15 that there were 103 fires, with around 200 Civil Defense vehicles working to extinguish them.
As the fires spread overnight and throughout the day, they reached homes, cars and factories, causing severe material damage. Residents evacuated, and one Lebanese, Salim Abu Mujahid, died of suffocation while helping extinguish the fires.
