From north to south: Lebanon's forests face devastating blaze

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Lebanon faced a wave of devastating forest fires, engulfing towns from the southern heights of Jabal al-Rihan to the northern forests of Chadra.
 
In Jabal al-Rihan, fires sparked by Israeli airstrikes on Monday destroyed pine trees and green spaces, with firefighters struggling for hours to bring the blazes under control. In Bkassine, home to the largest pine forest in the Middle East, fires of unknown origin broke out at dawn, consuming centuries-old pines and oaks that will take decades to replace. 

Civil defense teams and local residents fought the flames on rugged mountain terrain with limited equipment, risking their lives to contain the inferno.
 
The fires spread to the Chouf region, affecting towns such as Zaarouriyeh, Chehime, and Daraiya in Iqlim al-Kharrub. Strong winds fueled the flames, allowing them to intensify rapidly through the night.

In northern Lebanon, a massive fire tore through the forests of Chadra in Akkar, consuming vast areas of ancient pine, oak, cypress, and atlub trees. Initial assessments estimate the damage to exceed 100,000 square meters, marking a severe environmental disaster in one of the region's most scenic woodlands.

From south to north, the fires destroyed more than just trees—they damaged the natural heritage, collective memory, and identity embedded in Lebanon's forests, leaving communities mourning both environmental and cultural losses.