Unidentified individuals on Friday deliberately set fire to used tires dumped in an area adjacent to the Bourj Hammoud landfill, causing an “environmental disaster” and sending plumes of smoke that filled the sky over Beirut and its suburbs. According to MTV, the fire — which was first reported as having taken place in Bourj Hammoud’s landfill – resulted from the burning of tires by “those who want to financially benefit from the copper (contained in tires), whose prices have soared lately.” MTV said the perpetrators are “well-known and the state does not need any telecom data to find them.” [Naharnet]