Fresh Flames Dominate Damaged Beirut Skyline

Cooking oil is suspected to have fueled a large fire Thursday in Beirut, a city still recovering from a colossal explosion in August that caused at least 190 deaths and 6,500 injuries.

The fire broke out in the duty-free zone of the city’s port, spreading to a damaged warehouse stocked with tires. Military helicopters dropped water while firefighters struggled to control the blaze, local media report.

No injuries were reported.

The August 4 explosion was traced to 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port nearly six years after being confiscated by the government. AN has a long history of being used as both an agricultural fertilizer and as an explosive used in munitions.