Landfill fire to be put out in 48 hours in Lebanon

A fire that broke out at a landfill in southern Lebanon early Thursday will take at least two days to extinguish, officials said. An official with the Civil Defense Department, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The (Beirut) Daily Star that the department and the Sidon Fire Department have come up with a plan to put out the fire. "We need 48 hours to do the job," the official said, noting that the landfill is difficult to access. Some 30 Sidon firefighters, along with 10 volunteer firefighters and seven fire trucks, are battling the flames. Meanwhile, the fire has blanketed Sidon and surrounding areas with smoke. The industrial sector of Sidon has been shut down and motorists have been asked to use their hazard lights when driving in the city. This is the fourth fire to erupt at the land fill since mid-August; on Monday a fire broke out there, but was put out in a few hours, officials said. Police have not yet started an investigation into the cause of the fires.