Israeli strikes escalate Lebanon’s fire crisis amid systemic regional militarisation and climate vulnerability

Lebanese and Palestinian rural communities historically used controlled burning to manage Mediterranean maquis ecosystems, a practice suppressed by Ottoman land reforms and later Israeli occupation policies that criminalised traditional land use. Modern firefighting lacks integration with these ancestral methods, instead relying on imported technologies that fail in rugged terrain. The erasure of these practices reflects a broader colonial pattern of dismissing Indigenous ecological knowledge in favour of state-controlled disaster response.

The Litani River, a critical water source for southern Lebanon, has been a flashpoint since the 1920s when French colonial authorities diverted its flow to support Jewish settlements, a precursor to modern water wars. The 1982 Israeli invasion and subsequent occupation of southern Lebanon (1982–2000) disrupted traditional irrigation systems and introduced heavy militarisation that degraded local ecosystems. Post-civil war neoliberal reforms in the 1990s prioritised debt repayment over infrastructure, leaving Lebanon’s fire services underfunded and reliant on international aid.

In Indigenous Australian fire management, controlled burns are used to reduce bushfire risks while maintaining biodiversity, a model Lebanon could adapt despite its different ecosystem. Mediterranean cultures from Turkey to Morocco have long used firebreaks and seasonal burning to protect olive groves and vineyards, knowledge that could inform Lebanese firefighting strategies. However, these practices are marginalised in favour of Western-style firefighting, which often exacerbates soil erosion and long-term ecological damage.

Climate change has increased Lebanon’s fire risk by 30% since 2000, with temperatures rising 1.2°C and precipitation decreasing by 15%, according to NASA and Lebanese University studies. The Mediterranean maquis ecosystem, dominated by shrubs like *Pistacia lentiscus*, is highly flammable but resilient when managed properly; unchecked growth due to fire suppression leads to catastrophic burns. Israeli strikes often target fuel depots and power plants, creating secondary ignition sources that overwhelm local firefighting capacity.

In Lebanese folklore, fire is a symbol of both destruction and purification, as seen in the annual *Aid al-Nar* (Fire Festival) where bonfires are lit to ward off evil spirits. Artists like Etel Adnan have depicted the Lebanese landscape as a body scarred by conflict, where fire becomes a metaphor for both colonial violence and resilience. Traditional music and dance, such as the *Dabke*, often incorporate fire rituals that connect communities to the land, a practice disrupted by urbanisation and war.

Scenario modelling by the Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) projects a 50% increase in fire-prone areas in Lebanon by 2050 under RCP 8.5, with southern regions becoming uninhabitable during summer. Regional cooperation frameworks, such as the proposed Euro-Mediterranean Fire Management Network, could pool resources but are hindered by geopolitical tensions. Investment in renewable energy to replace diesel generators (a common fire ignition source) and drone-based early warning systems could reduce risks by 40% within a decade.

Women-led cooperatives in southern Lebanon, such as the *Women’s Union for the South*, have documented how fire risks disproportionately affect rural communities, yet their reports are ignored by national media. Syrian refugees, who make up 25% of Lebanon’s population, face heightened vulnerability to fires due to overcrowded informal settlements with inadequate infrastructure. Local firefighters, often volunteers with no formal training, are the first responders but lack protective gear, highlighting the state’s abandonment of marginalised populations.