BEIRUT, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — For the third consecutive day, Lebanon’s civil defense, in cooperation with the Lebanese army, worked hard to put out the huge fires that swept a big number of Lebanese villages. Fires continued on Wednesday to affect hundreds of square meters in Akkar, Yanouh, Daqoun, Bekfaya and other villages. Earlier in the day, Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced that the Higher Relief Commission had been instructed to compensate people affected by the fires. Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the government exerted huge efforts to put out the fires while the Higher Relief Commission will take care of all houses impacted by the fires. “We are working 24 hours a day and the most important thing for me is that there were no casualties,” he said. However, Lebanese citizens criticized the government through social media networks for not providing civil defense with the needed equipment to deal properly with such disastrous situations. They also blamed the government for not taking precautionary measures after the sudden rise of temperature to avoid the fires and the damage. Youssef Mallah, a member of the civil defense, told Xinhua that precautionary measures must be taken in such weather conditions. “For instance, we should not allow hunters to shoot from their weapons in such times,” he said, explaining that shots from hunters’ guns have a hot temperature and may cause fire when they fall on the ground. Camping must be also forbidden in such times, he added. Mallah emphasized the need to hire patrols to tour the place all night long while finding special routes for firefighters to reach fires in a fast way and not to use conventional roads.

Meanwhile, Lebanese lawmakers also voiced their concerns about the absence of a plan by the government to deal with such serious situations. “There should be a complete plan based on taking precautionary measures and the ability to face such disasters when they happen,” Hadi Abul Hassan, a lawmaker, told Xinhua. He explained that the environment ministry, municipalities and forests’ guards should cooperate in this regard. Simon Abi Ramia, another member of the parliament, criticized the government for neglecting the maintenance of three firefighting helicopters purchased by Lebanon in 2009. Lebanon asked for help from Cyprus and Greece which sent their jets to help Lebanese firefighters put out the fire. Thousands of square meters of forests have been destroyed in more than 132 massive fires in several towns and villages in Lebanon since Monday night, resulting in one death and the injury of 178. Raymond Khattar, director general of the Lebanese Civil Defense (Fire Department), said these are the worst fires in Lebanon in decades and the country has not witnessed a disaster of such magnitude for years.