A team of European Union experts is investigating a series of unexplained fires that have affected dozens of homes in western Libya over the past two months.
According to a statement from the Libyan government on Wednesday, the EU team is carrying out fieldwork in the town of Al-Asabi’a as part of a coordinated response to the fires. Their deployment was made possible through the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism by Libyan authorities.
The experts are conducting on-site evaluations to assess both environmental and human impacts and to determine the technical causes behind the fires, the statement said.
Located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) southwest of Tripoli, Al-Asabi’a has been grappling with a wave of mysterious fires since February 19. The incidents have caused cases of suffocation among residents and severe damage to dozens of homes.
On Wednesday, the municipality reported that the EU team has been using advanced equipment and techniques to investigate the blazes. Preliminary findings have ruled out gases, chemicals, physical materials, or environmental pollution as potential causes, though the exact origin of the fires remains undisclosed.
Earlier, on March 2, local officials announced that the situation had stabilized, though the fires had already destroyed around 150 homes. The fires, which have mainly affected one part of the city but spread across multiple neighborhoods, forced many families to leave their homes, according to an Anadolu correspondent.