A large fire broke out in the area between the towns of Rumein, Sarba, and Houmine al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, causing significant environmental damage as the flames consumed more than 3,000 trees, including aged oak, wild oleander, and olive trees. More than twenty firefighting vehicles from various civil defense centers in Nabatieh, the Fire Brigade of the Apple Region Municipalities Union, and the Islamic Health Authority worked to contain the fire, which ignited in the Hamila area between Rumein and Sarba, spreading from the outskirts of Sarba towards Houmine al-Fawqa.
The increase in temperature contributed to the intensity and rapid spread of the fire, along with the region's rugged terrain, which made access difficult for firefighting teams. After over five hours of work, firefighters managed to extinguish the flames almost completely and worked during the evening to cool down several hotspots.
Bilal Shhadi, the head of the Apple Region Municipalities Union, described the fire as "enormous and not innocent at all," stating, "It is time to put an end to those committing these crimes against nature and the environment. The fire that broke out today, shortly before the winter season and the preparation for gathering firewood, is not innocent. There are criminal hands that must be punished, and security agencies and relevant authorities must monitor the activities of firewood traders during this period, how they acquire wood, and how this is related to the fires occurring here and there, the latest of which was today in the Hamila area that connects the towns of Rumein, Sarba, and Houmine al-Fawqa, with quantities exceeding 3,000 burned forest and olive trees."
He noted that he "requested Sarba's mayor, Eli Halou, to file a complaint with the judicial authorities against unknown individuals, so we do not leave these criminals to tamper with our environment and nature without accountability," expressing gratitude to "every member of the civil defense, the fire brigade of the Apple Region Municipalities Union, and the Islamic Health Authority for their efforts that were stretched to their limits to control the flames and mitigate damage to nature and people's properties."
For his part, Sarba Mayor Eli Halou announced that "a disaster occurred due to this fire that ignited today in the Hamila area and spread to the outskirts of Houmine al-Fawqa," indicating that "the fire consumed more than 3,000 trees of aged oak and wild oleander, as well as large areas of olive groves. The civil defense teams, the union brigade, and the Islamic Health Authority managed to contain and extinguish it, but we will open a field investigation to determine the causes and will not leave those responsible unaccounted for."
