Syria Initiates Coordinated Efforts to Control Deadly Wildfires

(MENAFN) On Sunday, Syrian authorities initiated a joint operations center aimed at controlling the wildfires that have ravaged over 7,000 hectares of forest in the Latakia province for the past four days.

Raed al-Saleh, head of Syria's emergency and disaster management department, confirmed the establishment of the operations room, which has already begun coordinating efforts to secure water tankers, deploy volunteers, and utilize heavy machinery to create firebreaks.

Al-Saleh highlighted a slight overnight improvement in conditions, enabling firefighting teams to implement targeted cooling strategies. However, he cautioned that active hotspots persist.

The fires are intensifying due to a combination of drought, strong winds, and lingering remnants from past conflicts, according to al-Saleh. Currently, approximately 90 local firefighting teams, supported by over 150 vehicles, are working alongside Turkish and Jordanian emergency units.

In a significant boost to the firefighting efforts, Jordanian helicopters joined the operation on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Turkish firefighting teams had entered Syria a day earlier, bringing two helicopters and 11 vehicles to assist.

The Syrian Civil Defense reported that several volunteers have been injured, suffering from exhaustion, smoke inhalation, and burns in the extreme heat. The ongoing risks of landmines further complicate the situation. As a precaution, authorities evacuated seven villages in northern rural Latakia, although no fatalities have been officially recorded.

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