The wild fire was put under control with the support of fire fighting helicopters from neighboring Kenya. The wild fire was allegedly set by some individulas who are currently under investigation by courts in the Amhara regional state. In a related development, representatives from Ethiopia, France, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and ICCROM on the safeguard of the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela met at the UNESCO Headquarters today. The meeting was conducted with the aim of assessing the state of Lalibela, a world heritage site, and looking for solutions of preserving the peculiar tourist site. French president Emmanuel Macron last March assured Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that France would extend technical and financial support to preserve the site.

Source: Ethiopian News May 15, 2019 12:00 UTC