Fires in several regions of Lebanon
Multiple fires broke out on Saturday in several Lebanese regions, fueled by a heat wave. In South Lebanon, our correspondent reports several outbreaks, notably in the regions of Majdelzoun, Azzieh, Tayr Harfa, and in the area of Alma al-Shaab (Sour district.)
A blaze in the region of Zrarieh, also in Sour, has been ongoing for several hours. These natural fires are adding to a list of Israeli strikes and a constant overflight by the aviation of the Hebrew state. Another major fire broke out in a forest in the village of Deir Dourit, in Chouf (Mount Lebanon), where flames dangerously approached houses, according to the National News Agency (NNA). Civil Defense intervention contained the fire, which had previously destroyed agricultural areas.
Another fire broke out near the headquarters of the Sunni Sharia court in Beirut, in the Tarik el-Jdideh neighborhood, according to the NNA. Firefighters worked to extinguish it. A significant fire also broke out in forested areas on the outskirts of the locality of Rahbeh, in the Jouma-Akkar region, in North Lebanon. Civil Defense teams supported by the Lebanese army intervened to try to control the fire before it spread, as temperatures exceeded 35 degrees at noon in the region. A car caught fire on the road to Bhamdoun, in the caza of Aley, our correspondent reports. This incident contributed to increased traffic on this road leading to Bekaa, on the eve of municipal elections in this region.
72 Civil Defense missions
Civil Defense published a statement in the evening specifying that its teams carried out a total of 72 fire-fighting missions during this hot and windy day, ideal conditions for fueling the flames. Among these missions were 63 fires in dry grasslands and woods, two houses, two stores, two cars, two generators, one fire in a residential building, and another in several tents.
The fires broke out in regions as diverse as Kfarmatta, Baadarane, Bhamdoun, Baissour, Deir Dourit, Aramoun, Baakline, Dahr el-Wahch, Mansourieh, Beirut, Jbeil, Batroun, Akkar... In Bekaa, firefighters extinguished a fire that ravaged significant areas in the state lands of Niha.
The Civil Defense also indicated it intervened in the Nabatieh region to fight fires caused by Israeli phosphorus bombs in the woods of Markaba, Houla, and Tallousseh. The fire destroyed a depot in the village of Aita al-Shaab. The agency also specified battling several blazes in many sectors in South Lebanon, notably in the Sour district.
Civil Defense urged residents to follow directives and avoid unintentional fire outbreaks, especially when weather conditions are so conducive to the spread of flames. The statement reminds readers of the emergency numbers: 125 or via WhatsApp 70-192693.
About a week ago, the international environmental defense association Greenpeace sounded the alarm on the effects of climate change in Lebanon, given the recent fires in the past week. In this regard, Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani reminded that a state of emergency has been declared in the forestry sector to prevent catastrophes this year.
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L'Orient-Le Jour
17-05-2025
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Fires in several regions of Lebanon
Multiple fires broke out on Saturday in several Lebanese regions, fueled by a heat wave. In South Lebanon, our correspondent reports several outbreaks, notably in the regions of Majdelzoun, Azzieh, Tayr Harfa, and in the area of Alma al-Shaab (Sour district.) A blaze in the region of Zrarieh, also in Sour, has been ongoing for several hours. These natural fires are adding to a list of Israeli strikes and a constant overflight by the aviation of the Hebrew state. Another major fire broke out in a forest in the village of Deir Dourit, in Chouf (Mount Lebanon), where flames dangerously approached houses, according to the National News Agency (NNA). Civil Defense intervention contained the fire, which had previously destroyed agricultural areas. Another fire broke out near the headquarters of the Sunni Sharia court in Beirut, in the Tarik el-Jdideh neighborhood, according to the NNA. Firefighters worked to extinguish it. A significant fire also broke out in forested areas on the outskirts of the locality of Rahbeh, in the Jouma-Akkar region, in North Lebanon. Civil Defense teams supported by the Lebanese army intervened to try to control the fire before it spread, as temperatures exceeded 35 degrees at noon in the region. A car caught fire on the road to Bhamdoun, in the caza of Aley, our correspondent reports. This incident contributed to increased traffic on this road leading to Bekaa, on the eve of municipal elections in this region. 72 Civil Defense missions Civil Defense published a statement in the evening specifying that its teams carried out a total of 72 fire-fighting missions during this hot and windy day, ideal conditions for fueling the flames. Among these missions were 63 fires in dry grasslands and woods, two houses, two stores, two cars, two generators, one fire in a residential building, and another in several tents. The fires broke out in regions as diverse as Kfarmatta, Baadarane, Bhamdoun, Baissour, Deir Dourit, Aramoun, Baakline, Dahr el-Wahch, Mansourieh, Beirut, Jbeil, Batroun, Akkar... In Bekaa, firefighters extinguished a fire that ravaged significant areas in the state lands of Niha. The Civil Defense also indicated it intervened in the Nabatieh region to fight fires caused by Israeli phosphorus bombs in the woods of Markaba, Houla, and Tallousseh. The fire destroyed a depot in the village of Aita al-Shaab. The agency also specified battling several blazes in many sectors in South Lebanon, notably in the Sour district. Civil Defense urged residents to follow directives and avoid unintentional fire outbreaks, especially when weather conditions are so conducive to the spread of flames. The statement reminds readers of the emergency numbers: 125 or via WhatsApp 70-192693. About a week ago, the international environmental defense association Greenpeace sounded the alarm on the effects of climate change in Lebanon, given the recent fires in the past week. In this regard, Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani reminded that a state of emergency has been declared in the forestry sector to prevent catastrophes this year.
L'Orient-Le Jour
02-05-2025
- L'Orient-Le Jour
6 months later, Beirut reignites marathon
Nearly six months to the day after its original date, the 18th edition of the OMT Beirut Marathon made its grand return to the capital on Thursday, May 1. On this labor holiday, the streets of downtown came alive in the early hours when several thousand runners gathered on the waterfront at Biel for the start of the marathon (42.195 km) and the half marathon (21 km) at 6:15 a.m. local time. Despite a few raindrops, the weather proved more clement than the storm that arrived the day before. 'We had to reinstall everything twice during the night because of the gusts of wind,' recounted Soraya Barbir, director of the Beirut Marathon Association (BMA). 'All the tents and flags flew away, the advertising posters too... but we managed to put everything back in place in time. In the end, it was almost ideal weather for the runners: Thanks to the cloud cover and the light wind, they didn't suffer too much from the heat,' she rejoiced. 'Last-minute cancellations' These weather conditions gave the organizers a final scare, having already dealt with many unforeseen events in recent months, including in recent days. 'We received a lot of last-minute cancellations due to the latest strike [by the Israeli air force] on the southern suburb three days ago. When international runners see that Beirut has been struck, they don't necessarily understand that our limits are different from theirs,' added Barbir. This further reduced the number of participants, while the organization hoped to welcome between 12,000 and 15,000 runners across the various races of the day. As indicated by the date on the runners' shirts, this 18th edition was initially supposed to take place on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, but the escalation of war between Hezbollah and Israel thwarted the event, as was the case for the 2019 and 2020 editions, canceled due to the 2019 protest movement, and then the COVID-19 pandemic the following year. Finally rescheduled for May 4, the date of this 18th edition had to be adjusted again due to the scheduling of municipal elections starting this Sunday in several regions of the country. But these numerous upheavals did not dampen the enthusiasm of those present on the site, where a festive atmosphere prevailed amid numerous entertainment and food stalls set up for the occasion. Some distinguished guests even joined the festivities, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who came to greet runners near the finish line. Amir Saoud, captain of the national basketball team and player of the Beirut club Riyadi, also mingled with the crowd to partake in the 5-kilometer race. The proceeds from this event will be donated 30 percent to 21 Lebanese NGOs selected by the BMA, including Braveheart, CCCL, Neonate, Up Handi Cup, Learning Center for the Deaf and Ajialouna. Additionally, nearly 1,000 volunteers were deployed across the site, including several who came from the London and Rome marathons, alongside the Lebanese Red Cross rescue teams. First place for Ethiopian Diriba Tseg On the sporting front, the elite races witnessed slightly less competition than usual for all the reasons mentioned above, added to by the London marathon taking place this week, causing the absence of several international runners and Lebanese specialists in the discipline. In the men's race, victory was secured by Ethiopian Diriba Tsega, who completed the 42-kilometer course in two hours, 15 minutes, and eight seconds, ahead of Kenyan Emmanuel Kiprop Serem (2h 17 min and 2 sec) and Ethiopian Bekele Fetene (2h 20 min and 7 sec), who completed the podium. The women's race was dominated by another Ethiopian, Lemlem Abebe Asefa, in 2h 31 min and 3 sec. Her two compatriots, Zewudinesh Huris Degefa (2h 33 min and 8 sec) and Hawi Megerssa Regassa (2h 33 min and 9 sec), finished in second and third places, receiving their prizes from the hands of UNIFIL's peacekeeping commander, Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz. Finally, the honorary title of the fastest Lebanese of the day went to Tony Hanna, third in the last edition in 2023 and winner this time in 2h 30 min and 58 sec. He was ahead of Omar Abou Hamad (2h 40 min and 10 sec) and Samir Salman (2h 42 min and 48 sec). Meanwhile, Chirine Njeim won the women's ranking with a time of 2h 50 min and 38 sec, ahead of Kathia Rached (3h 13 min and 38 sec) and Nada Jisr (3h 19 min and 44 sec).
L'Orient-Le Jour
02-05-2025
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Raging wildfires near Jerusalem trigger army deployment
Thick plumes of smoke billowed above highways near Jerusalem on Wednesday as firefighters rushed to control wildfires that have injured several people and prompted Defense Minister Israel Katz to declare the situation a "national emergency". Israel's Magen David Adom rescue agency reported that hundreds of civilians were at risk from the worst brushfires in years, with Katz ordering troops to deploy to support firefighters. MDA said it had provided treatment to around 23 people, 13 of whom were taken to the hospital, the majority suffering from smoke inhalation and burns. Among them were two pregnant women and two children less than a year old, it added. It said the alert level had been raised to the highest tier. "We are facing a national emergency, and all available forces must be mobilized to save lives and bring the fires under control," Katz said in a statement from his ministry. Police closed the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway and evacuated residents along the route as brushfires broke out again in an area ravaged by blazes a week ago. Communities home to thousands of people have been cleared out. "Our aircraft can't do anything right now due to the weather conditions ... Our goal is to save lives," fire chief Eyal Caspi said at a televised press conference. "We are apparently facing the largest fire in Israel in a decade." The police said on X that they had deployed in force around Route 1 and the Jerusalem Hills, asking the public to "avoid travelling to the area". An AFP journalist at the scene earlier on Wednesday said the blaze was sweeping through wooded areas near the main road between Latrun and Bet Shemesh, and that helicopters were working to extinguish the flames. Bet Shemesh resident Shimon Bitton, 42, said his daughters had been evacuated from school. "Even though we were scared, everything seems to be fine." Soldiers arrived on the scene mid-afternoon, with many drivers abandoning their vehicles and fleeing as huge clouds of dark smoke billowed from the fire. Communities located about 30 kilometers west of Jerusalem were evacuated, Israeli media reported, airing images of firefighting teams battling fierce flames. 'Worsening weather conditions' National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hinted that arson could be behind the fires, as police said they had arrested a resident of east Jerusalem who was caught "attempting to set fire to a field in the southern part of the city". But there was no official declaration directly linking the two. Ben Gvir said police would arrest anyone "involved in arson terror", while also monitoring for unrest. MDA said ambulance teams had been positioned near communities close to the fires and were ready to provide medical treatment and assist residents. A motorcycle unit was ready to offer medical assistance to citizens stuck in heavy traffic, the agency added. High temperatures and strong winds have allowed the fires in wooded areas to spread quickly, prompting evacuations from at least five communities, the police said in a statement. Ben Gvir, who oversees Israel's fire department, visited the affected area, which is prone to wildfires at this time of year. In a video statement, he said work was being done to bring more assistance to the affected areas and evacuate stranded civilians. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted nearby countries including Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy and Bulgaria for assistance, according to a statement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said three aircraft would arrive soon from Italy and Croatia to help fight the fires. With personnel stretched thin, Ben Gvir said he had instructed organizers to cancel any evening events tied to Thursday's Independence Day celebrations that would have required the presence of firefighters. "The decision is aimed at reallocating forces to deal with the fire, strengthening firefighting units in the Jerusalem district, and preparing for the worsening weather conditions according to forecasts," a statement said.
