- Title: Lebanon deploys water cannon, helicopters to fight wildfires across country
- Date: 15th October 2019
- Summary: BAAWARTA, LEBANON (OCTOBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS) FIREFIGHTER AIRCRAFT DROPPING WATER TO EXTINGUISH FIRE IN FOREST FIRE BURNING VARIOUS OF AIRCRAFT DROPPING WATER ON FIRE IN FOREST VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER CARRYING WATER FLYING TO EXTINGUISH FIRE, SMOKE RISING SMOKE RISING FROM BURNING FIRE FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT FLYING AIRCRAFT DROPPING WATER ON FIRE SMOKE RISING VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER FLYING AND CARRYING WATER DAMOUR, LEBANON (OCTOBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS) BUILDING DAMAGED BY WILDFIRES SMALL FLAME BURNING UNDER DEBRIS VARIOUS OF BURNT OUT BUILDING DAMAGED INTERIOR OF BUILDING SMALL FLAME BURNING UNDER DEBRIS SMOKE RISING FROM DEBRIS FIRE BURNING FIRE TRUCK PARKED OUTSIDE DAMAGED BUILDING BROKEN WINDOWS OF DAMAGED BUILDING VARIOUS OF DAMAGED INTERIOR OF BUILDING FIREFIGHTERS INSIDE BURNT BUILDING EXTERIOR OF BUILDING VARIOUS OF SIGN READING (French): "Rainbow.aec" BAAWARTA, LEBANON (OCTOBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) FIRE BURNING HELICOPTER FLYING, CARRYING WATER VARIOUS OF FIRE BURNING
- Embargoed: 29th October 2019 16:55
- Keywords: Environment fire Lebanese civil defense natural disaster wild fire winds temperature
- Location: BAAWARTA AND DAMOUR, LEBANON
- City: BAAWARTA AND DAMOUR, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Fires
- Reuters ID: LVA001B17LZ5Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Wildfires that have swept across Lebanon since Monday (October 14) 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 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 minimize the toll. Lebanon's Red Cross said that 18 people have so far been hospitalized and 88 have received emergency medical care.
The fires have left charred trees and burned-out cars and have overpowered Lebanon's fire brigades, prompting appeals to neighbouring states to send aircraft to bolster efforts. So far Cyprus has sent helicopters and Greece has agreed to offer two aircraft, Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan said.
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 heatwave that hit the country in recent days.
(Production: Hassan Hankir, Imad Creidi, Louisa Naks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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