A large fire broke out in the forests of the Hermel District early on Wednesday, and spread through and engulfed large areas rich in trees throughout the day.
Civil defense units rapidly responded to fire calls in the rural area of Mazraat Sejoud on Wednesday morning. Alongside volunteering locals, the firefighters tried to control the wildfire as it quickly ate through the dense areas in and around the village.
In effect, the Mayor of Mazraat Sejoud, Hussein Sejoud, called on concerned parties and the Lebanese Army to intervene quickly and help the Lebanese Civil Defense surround and extinguish the fire before it reaches nearby houses.
Furthermore, locals appealed to the Minister of Agriculture and Culture Abbas Mortada to take action and save the burning forests.
Meanwhile, the strong wind was impeding the firefighters’ efforts to control the fire, which was rapidly approaching Hermel, the capital of the Hermel District.
Eventually, the Lebanese Army responded and rushed helicopters to the firefighters’ aid from the military airbase of Kleyate, and provided some much-needed assistance.
Throughout the firefighting operation, civil defense personnel utilized an emergency pool to collect water and fill the tanks of the involved military helicopters.
Along with the strong winds, the difficult terrain also posed a challenge to the firefighters. After a few hours of continuous and diligent work, the fire was finally surrounded and put out by Wednesday evening.
In turn, the mayor and people of Mazraat Sejoud thanked and saluted the efforts of the Army, the civil defense, and everyone else who contributed to besieging and extinguishing the blaze.
At the time of writing, civil defense members are working to cool down the affected lands to prevent new fires from breaking out again.
