Lebanon struggles as strong winds intensify wildfires

BEIRUT - Wildfires that have swept across Lebanon since Monday have burned swathes of the country's forest and killed at least one person, prompting Beirut to deploy water cannons and call on its neighbours for help.

A heat wave in the region coupled with strong winds intensified the fires that began a day earlier in mostly pine forests around the country and three provinces in neighboring Syria.

The cause of the flames, which has spread from woods south of Beirut up to pine forests in the north, remains unknown, though some officials have blamed an autumn heat wave that hit the country in recent days.

Lebanon's Red Cross said that 18 people have so far been hospitalised and 88 have received emergency medical care.

Fire crews were overwhelmed by the flames in the Mount Lebanon region early Tuesday, forcing the Interior Ministry to send riot police with engines equipped with water cannons to help.

The fires have left charred trees and burned-out cars, prompting appeals to neighhouring states to send aircraft to bolster efforts.

A civil defence official said 104 fires had broken out over the past 24 hours, and that residents had been evacuated from homes and buildings to minimise the toll.

"The fire was so strong it did not leave anything. It did not leave any greens, any buildings, anything," said Hussein Mcheik outside his home in the badly afflicted Mechref area south of Beirut.

In Damour, a coastal village south of Beirut, more than a dozen charred cars could be seen on the side of a road. Most of the homes nearby escaped the damage.

The state has been widely criticized by residents because Lebanon bought three aircraft several years ago to be used in extinguishing fires but they have been parked at Beirut's airport with no money to maintain them.

As the fires raged overnight, a correspondent burst into tears while live on TV, saying she could hear people scream for help inside their homes but no one could reach them.

Speaking to reporters in Mechref, Environment Minister Fadi Jreissati said at least one person had been killed. He called the situation "catastrophic", adding: "Hopefully everyone helping will remain cautious...We still have two hard days ahead and the heat and wind will stay strong."

Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said an investigation would be opened and if arson were uncovered the perpetrators would "pay a price," though he said the fires might be the result of climate change, which often brings weather drier and hotter than normal.

So far the nearby Mediterranean island of Cyprus has sent helicopters and Greece has agreed to offer two aircraft, Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan said. "We have contacted all the countries that can help us," he said, adding that Jordan has also expressed readiness to send assistance to Beirut.

"Your planes are now fighting fires in Lebanon as we speak here," Lebanon's Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab said during a visit to Cyprus.

In neighboring Syria, fires spread in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, as well as the central province of Homs, but authorities there said they brought all the fires under control.