NaharNet, Lebanon
July 24 2008

Fire at Bourj Hammoud Garbage Dump

Fire broke out in piles of used rubber tires deserted at the Bourj
Hammoud garbage dump on Beirut’s northern edge Thursday, but rescuers
managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby butane storage
facilities. A Civil Defense Directorate official said rescuers and
firefighters managed to "besiege" the fire and were achieving progress
in efforts to extinguish it.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the fire
as "localized" and said there was no immediate threat of it spreading.

The problem, he added, is with the "thik-black smoke billowing from
the burning rubber. This causes respiratory problems to residents" of
the densely populated suburb and most of Beirut’s eastern sector.

Beirut, 24 Jul 08, 21:42