BEIRUT — A large fire erupted in Beirut’s port on Thursday, sending up orange flames and a huge plume of black smoke that terrified residents still recovering from the horrific port explosion that devastated entire neighborhoods last month. The fire appeared to have started in a warehouse belonging to a private company that imported cooking oil. It then spread to a stock of rubber tires, the port’s interim general manager, Bassem El-Kaissi, said in a telephone interview. The fire sent up giant orange flames and thick smoke that were visible for miles and spread panic inside the port and in neighborhoods ravaged by last month’s blast, which occurred after a fire in a hangar that stored hazardous materials. Port workers scrambled to flee their offices and residents fled their homes or hid in hallways, fearing that the fire could cause a new explosion.

Source: New York Times September 10, 2020 11:16 UTC