Firefighters, Army Struggle to Contain Huge Jeita Blaze
Civil Defense firefighters assisted by army helicopters were on Sunday struggling to bring under control a major blaze that erupted in a forestland in the touristic area of Jeita, east of the famous Jeita Grotto.
A cableway that passes through the forest was immediately shut down as a safety precaution as tourists were asked to stay at the grotto's entrance due to the density of the bellowing smoke, the National News Agency said.
The strong winds contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, the agency added.
“The fire is spreading towards homes, specifically the al-Mazraani building, and residents are urging the Civil Defense and the army to intervene,” NNA said.
The blaze risks to gut “tens of thousands of square meters of a historic forestland that is unique in Lebanon,” the agency added.
Around 4:00 pm, Civil Defense chief Raymond Khattar told MTV that the spread of the flamed towards homes had been halted.
"Several factors are complicating our efforts, especially strong winds, but we've managed to push the flames away from residential buildings," he said.
Y.R.
Source: Naharnet
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