INTERVIEW According to the Director General of Lebanese Civil Defense, General Darwish Hobeika, All forest fires were intentional and deliberate.   The Director-General of the Lebanese Civil Defense General Darwish Hobeika declared that recent forest-fires were man-made. He discloses the mechanism used to trigger most of these fires.   General Hobeika also revealed that according to Civil Defense statistics 21,885 fires were extinguished in 2007.       What can you say after three months have passed since the forest fire wave? The fires that attacked our forests over the past months were man made (intentional, deliberate) and this can be proven by the Civil Defense reports. Civil Defense fire fighters were also shot at while doing their job in certain areas. How were these fires initiated? Soft drink cans were filled with flammable liquids such as oil and “gasoline” and connected to match sticks which were in turn attached to mosquito repelling disks (Katol)   What can you say about the fire in Ammiq natural reserve about a month ago? The fire started after some shepherds/farmers set fire to some twigs and sticks.   Do we have statistics on the forest fires of 2007? Civil Defense statistics show that 21,885 fires were put out in 2007, around 16,733 of which took place during the last summer.   Fire fighting “planes”   Do we need special air fire fighting equipment in Lebanon?   Our fire fighters were capable of extinguishing all the fires that took place last summer. What we really need are fire fighting helicopters that suit our environment and needs and not the other alternative as the Canada Air which does not operate at night since most of the fires started during dark hours.   What are the main difference between the helicopter and the Canada Air? The Canada Air can only fill up water from the sea and cannot not go low enough to put out fires in valleys. The helicopter, on the other hand, can fill its water tanks from lakes, pools and even our vehicles. They can also reach valleys since it is necessary for it to release the water from a low height for or less it would be spray like. I also want to ask the government to perform continuous maintenance on the Puma “planes” we already have since they can be very efficient in helping us save what is left of our forests.   Civil Defense Members How many volunteers does the Civil Defense have?   We have a total of 4,700 volunteers and they are currently undergoing training with French experts. We depend on the strength and motivation of our young volunteers since fire fighting is not an easy task. It needs commitment and perseverance. For example, our volunteers have recently extended 40 water hoses, measuring 900 meters, in one of the valleys.   What are the main challenges faced while fighting fires?   Our members face numerous challenges including rocky mountain pathways and mines in certain regions. We therefore urge municipalities to “open” roads to facilitate our job and clean forests from trash and mines.   By Ghinwa Daher