A huge fire broke out in the Bisri valley at around midnight on Saturday and spread very quickly to other areas.
The residents of the towns surrounding the Bisri Valley in the Chouf area woke up to a massive fire in their valley, reaching areas that are nearly impossible for the Civil Defense forces to get to.
The fire was swift to spread to the village of Bater in the Chouf district in Mount Lebanon that is known for its agricultural lands as it wiped out vast areas of pine trees, a known symbol of that territory.
This is the second fire that breaks out in the Bisri Valley after the dam project was halted due to public pressure. It raises concerns that these fires might be man-made with a purpose.
The fire in the Bisri Valley follows several fires that Lebanon witnessed over the past couple of weeks in Akkar, Hermel, and Kobayat. These areas are witnessing extreme heatwaves amidst the absence of a fire-combatting plan that should be set by the government.
According to a report published by the Balamand University, many other places all over Lebanon are threatened by such fires that would bring unbearable losses.
That is because the Lebanese Civil Defense forces have shown modesty in their fire combatting methods due to years of authoritative negligence to the only fire fighting forces in Lebanon; the report noted.