Latakia, west Syria – The Syrian Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management confirmed today that wildfires in Latakia’s forests continue to spread for the ninth consecutive day, despite massive containment efforts by local and regional firefighting teams.
In a statement posted on X, Syrian minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh said “Despite the intensive efforts of firefighting teams, forest fires continue to spread in the Latakia countryside, with the affected area now exceeding 15,000 hectares. Strong winds are accelerating the spread of the fires, despite the teams establishing firebreak lines. Meanwhile, mines and war remnants are hindering the movement of firefighters.”
In another post, the minister stated that more than 150 firefighting teams from the Syrian Civil Defense, local fire brigades, various government institutions, and volunteer groups are involved in the response, supported by over 300 fire trucks, dozens of logistical vehicles, and heavy machinery to open firebreaks and create access routes through the rugged forests.
In addition to local efforts, ground crews from Turkey and Jordan are participating in the operations, with Iraqi teams expected to join soon. Aerial firefighting support includes 16 aircraft from Syria, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon working in coordination to help contain the disaster.
Read also: EU Activates Copernicus as Latakia Wildfires Burn for Eighth Day
Meanwhile, Civil Defense and fire brigades also tackled two separate wildfires in Hama province, located in west-central Syria, in recent hours.
In Naba’ Al-Tayyib, a fire consumed about 500 dunams of forest and reignited after midnight despite initial containment and cooling efforts by 33 responders with 10 fire engines and support equipment.
Also, in Jabal Taqsis near the scientific research center, flames destroyed about 20 dunams of cypress trees before being fully brought under control by early Friday morning.
The Ministry stressed that the combined challenges of rough terrain, high temperatures, strong winds, and explosive remnants of war remain the main obstacles to fully containing the blazes.
On Wednesday, the European Commission for Equality and Crisis Management activated the “Copernicus” service to assist local response efforts to the Syrian coastal
Commissioner Haga Habib said in a statement posted on X that the EU activated Copernicus to support local response efforts with satellite images.
She added that the ongoing fires in Syria have displaced thousands and severely damaged vital services and rural communities amid already difficult humanitarian conditions.
