dpa
Latakia, Syria
Wildfires continued to spread on Saturday across the northern countryside of Latakia, tearing through rugged terrain amid high temperatures and driven strong winds, according to civil defence teams and eyewitnesses.
The fires have forced the closure of major roads and the evacuation of additional residents from villages near danger zones, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
“We have been battling the fires for the past two days, trying to contain the flames that have destroyed around 5,000 hectares,” said Ashraf Turkmani, a member of the Civil Defence, speaking to DPA from the scene.
He added that Turkish firefighting teams and helicopters had arrived to assist in extinguishing the fires. Turkmani confirmed that residents were evacuated from areas where the fires were approaching homes.
“We were asked to leave our homes for our safety,” said one resident from a rural area in Latakia, suggesting that some of the fires might have been deliberately set.
There has been no official comment on that claim.
Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said emergency teams are currently responding to more than 40 fires in over 20 locations across Syria.
He identified the fire in the Qastal Maaf area as one of the most dangerous.
“The teams are working under extremely difficult conditions, with strong winds accelerating the spread of flames and complicating containment efforts,” al-Saleh said.
Lattakia Governor Mohammad Othman confirmed the evacuation of several villages to protect residents and reported that two people were injured and had received medical treatment.
He added that additional Turkish support is expected in the coming hours to reinforce Syrian efforts.
The fires, among the worst in recent years, come amid a period of extreme weather and represent a serious environmental threat to Syria’s coastal region.
