In el Abadiyeh another mountain resort area next to Aley a huge fire broke out there this morning .
Police reported no casualties from the fires which destroyed vast areas of forests and land in north and south Lebanon as well as in the Chouf Mountains.
In Deir el Qamar town of the Chouf mountains there is a big concern that the fire there could reach Moussa castle ( right) , a landmark and popular tourist attraction for the whole region
At least 200 Civil Defense posts were mobilized to help put out the blazes which broke out overnight.
Police are investigating the causes of the fire , but gutsy winds were blowing throughout the country last night and continue till this morning
Update : 11: 30 AM Beirut time
The fire in Deir el Qamar appears to be spreading . Currently the Civil Defense is trying to evacuate some inhabitants whose houses may catch fire .
The Deir el Qamar fire has also reached many forests of the surrounding Chouf villages and the authorities have appealed to the citizens that have water storage tanks for help.
All public buildings were closed today and many roads are closed for traffic .
Cyprus was also contacted by the Lebanese government for help in extinguishing the fires with their firefighting helicopters.
Tens of thousands of forest acres have so far been affected and the losses are in the tens of millions.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Television footage showed several burned-out cars on roads in the Chouf region and specially in the Christian town of Deir al-Qamar.
Big forest fires were also reported in the northern region of Akkar, and smaller ones in the Metn area northeast of Beirut.
It was not clear how the fires had started.
The is also using helicopters to spray water over the blazes.
Update: 12: 00 PM Beirut time
New fires erupted in the mountain towns of Dhour Shweir, Rashmaya, Dhour al Abadieh and Kfar Ameih.
Strong winds have prevented the Lebanese security forces and civil defense teams have from containing the fires
Lebanese Red Cross workers evacuated senior citizens from an elderly home care in Dhour Shweir as fires approached the town.
Flames reached part of the house of Brig. Gen. Jean Nassif on the outskirts of Deir al Qamar.
Residents of Deir Mar Abda in Deir al Qamar are being evacuated after wildfires were creeping toward this mountain resort town.
16 people suffered second-degree burns as a result of the fires in Deir al Qamar.
At least 50 cases of suffocation were reported in Deir al Qamar from the smoke.
Deir al Qamar residents appealed through television and radio stations for help after fire flames reached their homes.
Firefighters were struggling to contain new fires that broke out in Ain Jarmaq in Hasbaya.
Residents were evacuated from the northern Qobayat town after fires destroyed more than 12 acres of land.
Update : 12: 30PM Beirut time
Chouf MP appeals for help
MP George Adwan described th situation in Deir el Qamar as disastrous and appealed for help in extinguishing the fire specially since some of the affected houses are hundreds of year old .
Deir el Qamar is one of the oldest towns in the Chouf region and has some of the best preserved old houses in Lebanon.
Adwan said primitive means are being used for extinguishing the fire and the gutsy wind is not helping at all
Update : 2: 00 PM Beirut time
Fire also broke out in the adjoining villages of Kfarqatra and Beiteddine in the Chouf area of mount Lebanon . both villages are near Deir el Qamar.
Beiteddine , where the famous presidential palace is located is the summer residence of the president of Lebanon.
This is where the Beiteddine festival takes place every year.
This year the festival was canceled duo to the Hezbollah protests
Here are some pictures of the fire in Deir el Qamar courtesy of Reuters
Smoke from a forest fire rises above Deir al-Qamar town , southeast of Beirut, in the Chouf mountains , October 2, 2007
Pine trees burn in a pine forest in Deir al-Qamar town , southeast of Beirut October 2, 2007
A Lebanese policeman and a civilian try to extinguish a forest fire in Deir al-Qamar
Tags: Aley, Beirut, Deir Al Qamar, Fires, Lebanon, Moussa
