Syria Grapples with Wildfires in Latakia Countryside

(MENAFN) Syria Civil Defense reported Monday that firefighting crews remain engaged in efforts to suppress widespread wildfires in the Latakia countryside, located in the western part of the country.

According to a statement from the agency, firefighting teams are currently working to control a forest fire situated between the villages of al-Rihaniyah and al-Sukariyah in the Rabia region, northeast of Latakia. Crews are also addressing a separate large fire near the town of Salma.

The agency noted that the firefighting efforts have been significantly hindered by a combination of difficult terrain, a lack of accessible roads, unstable weather patterns, and the threat of unexploded ordnance left over from the ongoing civil war.

The wildfires have been burning since early Sunday, spreading rapidly due to high winds and dense vegetation in the area.

Latakia province, part of western Syria, has witnessed a series of wildfires this summer. Hot temperatures, dry conditions, and the region’s dense forests have created ideal conditions for these fires to spread out of control.

In July, wildfires in Latakia's mountainous areas burned for 12 days, devastating over 16,000 hectares of forest land, including 2,200 hectares of agricultural land. Authorities revealed that the fires caused severe damage to 45 villages, impacting around 1,200 families.

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