Large fires broke out near residential areas in northern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon.
One of the fires started in pine forests in the Akkar District and spread into various areas within the district, including Qoubaiyat and Qatlaba, reaching houses in some locations, according to the National News Agency.
People in affected areas have called upon Lebanese Civil Defense and the Lebanese Army to send in a helicopter to help surround and extinguish the fire.
Locals were asked to help control the fire as much as possible by sounding church bells and sending out Whatsapp messages until firefighters arrived at the scene.
Another fire broke out in the village of Beinou. It was rapidly spread by the wind in an estimated area of 20,000 square meters of olive and oak trees and dry grass.
As of the time of writing, firefighters are working on extinguishing the fires, including using two fire engines and water hoses that belong to the Municipality of Beinou, where the fire was successfully pushed away from houses.
The Lebanese Red Cross said that it had dispatched five teams to respond to the Qoubaiyat fire to help evacuate people and provide first aid.
