Khattar to LBCI: The Civil Defense continues to operate at a minimum level, and 95% of fires are human-made

LBCI launched the #حريق_بالناقص (or One Less Fire in English) campaign.

The Director General of Civil Defense, Raymond Khattar, revealed that the human element within the Civil Defense has improved with the recruitment of new volunteers, although he considers it insufficient. 

Regarding logistical matters, he confirmed that the Civil Defense continues to operate at a minimum level as its vehicles are 23 years old and have all been worn out.

Khattar explained in an interview on LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show that in 2021, the Civil Defense conducted around 14,000 firefighting operations, which decreased to 7,000 in 2022, and as of 2023 until August, the number has further dropped to 5,000. He noted that the peak season for wildfires is between September and October.

The Director General of Civil Defense also emphasized that climate change is one of the factors contributing to the spread of fires, stating that 95 percent of fires are either due to human ignorance or intentional acts.

He confirmed that the Civil Defense conducts awareness campaigns about the dangers of fires through the media and seasonal guidelines distributed periodically.

Khattar stressed that the biggest problem is the difficulty in extinguishing waste fires, considering it an exhaustive and resource-consuming task for the Civil Defense personnel and equipment.