“Civil Defense”: Lattakia Fires Are Extensive and Difficult ...Syria

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“Civil Defense”: Lattakia Fires Are Extensive and Difficult

The director of the Syrian Civil Defense in Lattakia, Abdel Kafi Kayyal, told Enab Baladi that firefighting teams are still working to extinguish the wildfires that broke out on Thursday in the Al‑Basit,Qastal Maaf, and Jabal al‑Turkman areas in the mountainous regions of Lattakia governorate, western Syria.

Kayyal added on Friday, July 4, that the fires are among the most difficult the Civil Defense has dealt with due to the rugged terrain, presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance, and the lack of access routes to the fire hotspots.

    He explained that the affected area spans more than 20 kilometers in diameter, and several key roads linking nearby areas—such as those between Al-Basit, Qastal Maaf, Beit al-Qusair, and surrounding villages—have been impacted, further complicating the response efforts.

    Kayyal urged civilians and tourists in the area to avoid these roads, and called on residents living near or within the forested zones to evacuate temporarily until the fires are brought under control.

    There is no containment estimate yet, as strong winds—especially since Friday afternoon—have become one of the main obstacles in containing the fires. The winds significantly worsened the situation, causing the flames to spread to new areas, Kayyal said.

    The Civil Defense in Lattakia has requested support from other governorates including Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and Tartus. Reinforcements are being deployed as efforts intensify to contain the fires and protect the green areas, which are considered vital to maintaining environmental balance.

    A few days ago, the Civil Defense extinguished more than 13 wildfires across various parts of Lattakia countryside.

    Alarming Rise in Wildfires

    Several Syrian governorates have been witnessing near-daily wildfires, particularly in forested and agricultural areas.

    On July 1, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh confirmed that Syria is experiencing a serious increase in the rate of forest and brush fires.

    According to al-Saleh, between early April and the end of June, a total of 3,579 fires were recorded across 12 governorates, posing a direct threat to the ecological balance and the environment for future generations.

    He added that Syria has faced one of the most widespread and dangerous wildfire seasons since April, affecting both forested and agricultural lands.

    Civil Defense teams carried out over 16,200 emergency interventions using 312 firefighting vehicles distributed across 116 fire stations, executing an operational plan that exceeded 4,600 work hours—marking one of the largest coordinated firefighting efforts in Syria, according to al-Saleh.

    The Civil Defense continues to publish emergency contact numbers via its official platforms to provide fire, rescue, ambulance, and road accident assistance across Syrian provinces.

    “Civil Defense”: Lattakia Fires Are Extensive and Difficult Enab Baladi.

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