Unprecedented wildfires have ravaged forests across southern Lebanon over the past 48 hours. The blazes have impacted several regions, including villages in the Iqlim al-Kharroub area of Chouf, Jezzine, and Al-Rihan, extending to areas like Shheem, Daria, Al-Mutalleh, Hasrout, Zrarieh, Ghbatiyeh, Armata, and Bkassine.
Strong winds have exacerbated the situation, fueling the rapid spread of the fires and raising concerns about them spiraling out of control. The Shadra forest experienced a new wave of fires overnight, consuming vast areas of woodland and causing significant environmental damage.
Civil Defense teams, the Lebanese Army, and local volunteers are working to extinguish the flames, focusing efforts on protecting residential areas and preventing casualties and property damage.
Lebanese Environment Minister Tamara El Zein stated that most of the fires were the result of “human intervention, whether intentional or unintentional.” She added that factors such as drought and wind “increase the speed of their spread but are not the primary cause of their outbreak.”
The Minister also noted that recent Zionist airstrikes contributed to igniting several fires in the areas of Jarmaq, Mahmoudieh, Aayshiyeh and Rihan, indicating that “the enemy burned more than 8,700 hectares of agricultural and forest land, and dropped additional incendiary devices, exacerbating the environmental disaster.”
El Zein called for strengthening the capabilities of the Civil Defense with necessary equipment and personnel, as well as establishing water storage systems in at-risk areas. She also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and local authorities who confronted the fires despite limited resources.
These fires occur during a critical climatic season in Lebanon, with rising temperatures and drought conditions, threatening a repeat of the disaster unless urgent preventative measures are taken.
