Syrian Civil Defense teams and forest firefighting brigades are continuing their efforts for the fourth consecutive day to extinguish wildfires in Latakia’s northern countryside.
The Civil Defense announced on Wednesday, September 24, that multiple fire fronts remain active across villages in the Jabal al-Turkman and Jabal al-Akrad areas (northern Latakia countryside).
Abdel-Kafi Kayyal, director of Emergency and Disaster Management in Latakia, said that Civil Defense teams are still battling the blazes in Jabal al-Turkman and Jabal al-Akrad.
He explained that the fires erupted successively in distant areas, complicating the firefighters’ access. He pointed to the presence of landmines and remnants of war, along with strong winds, as the most pressing obstacles preventing teams from reaching the fire sites.
The Civil Defense mourned its member, Alaa Janawro, who died on September 22 from severe burns sustained while extinguishing the forest fires in Latakia’s countryside.
On Tuesday evening, the Civil Defense said its teams, forest brigades, and local volunteers succeeded in extinguishing the blaze that had spread across the forests of Habnamra and near Ali in western Homs after three days of continuous work. Cooling operations and monitoring are underway.
In western Hama countryside, Civil Defense firefighting teams contained a forest fire that broke out on September 22 in the Wadi al-Oyoun forests. By Tuesday noon, September 23, the teams halted the spread of the fire and continued cooling and monitoring to prevent re-ignition.
Challenges facing firefighters
According to the Civil Defense, the difficulties hindering its firefighting operations include:
Landmines and war remnants in Jabal al-Turkman and Jabal al-Akrad, threatening the safety of teams and blocking access to fire sites.
Strong, shifting easterly dry winds, accelerating the spread of flames.
Extremely rugged terrain.
Lack of nearby water sources, with distances reaching 20–30 km.
Absence of firebreaks and roads leading to fire sites.
Severe drought in grasses and trees, as Syria faces its worst drought in 60 years.
On Tuesday, September 23, Kayyal told Enab Baladi that firefighting teams had managed to extinguish fires in the Sukariya area of Latakia’s countryside.
He added that several fire spots remain burning in the valleys of Deir Hanna (Latakia countryside), stressing that teams continue to fight the blazes despite the compounded challenges of strong winds, mountainous terrain, and war remnants.
Kayyal had previously told Enab Baladi that Latakia requested assistance from Civil Defense units in other provinces, including heavy machinery, to help contain the flames.
Rainfall will not help
Shadi Jawish, head of the Central Forecast Center at Syria’s General Directorate of Meteorology, told Enab Baladi that light rainfall is expected along coastal areas on Thursday and Friday, accompanied by a noticeable drop in temperatures.
However, he cautioned that the forecasted rainfall will not be sufficient to aid in extinguishing the ongoing fires in the countrysides of Latakia and Homs.
Previous fires
In August, Civil Defense forces, in cooperation with other entities, announced the extinguishing of widespread wildfires in Hama and Latakia.
On August 17, Riad al-Saleh, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management in the Syrian government, announced via X that all wildfires in western Hama had been fully extinguished and cooled, while the area remained under observation to prevent re-ignition.
The fires had spread to the Shatha area in al-Ghab Plain and to the Jableh countryside in Latakia, where they were difficult to control due to the presence of war remnants, according to al-Saleh, who spoke to the Syrian state news agency (SANA).
Helicopters from the Syrian Ministry of Defense based at Mezzeh Airbase in Damascus participated in firefighting efforts in Hama’s countryside.
Earlier, on July 15, Minister al-Saleh announced full containment of widespread fires in Latakia after 12 days of continuous efforts.
He described this as the end of the emergency response phase and the beginning of an equally important phase of protecting the remaining forests and restoring the areas destroyed by fire.
The fires at that time damaged more than 14,000 hectares, according to the Ministry of Agriculture on August 4.
Winds and landmines hinder firefighting in Latakia countryside, northwestern Syria Enab Baladi.
Hence then, the article about winds and landmines hinder firefighting in latakia countryside northwestern syria was published today ( ) and is available on ُEnabbaladi ( Syria ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Winds and landmines hinder firefighting in Latakia countryside, northwestern Syria )
Also on site :
- Gold Star Distribution Inc., Issues Recall of Certain FDA-Regulated Products in Three States Including Drugs, Devices, Cosmetics, Human Foods, and Pet Foods
- ’Beverly Hills, 90210’s Jason Priestley Shares Bold Callout After ‘Worst’ Travel Experience
- Central African Republic election: Who’s running and what’s at stake?