Latakia, Western Syria – The Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) confirmed on Saturday that wildfires continue to spread in rural Latakia, northwestern Syria, driven by strong winds and soaring temperatures.
In a statement on Facebook, the White Helmets shared video footage showing their teams battling large blazes in the forests of Qastal Maaf, near Ras al-Basit in northern Latakia. Firefighting crews are working to contain the fires and prevent them from spreading further, with additional teams being deployed from other Syrian provinces.
Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed al-Saleh, announced in a post on X that he held a field meeting with Turkish officials at the Yayladağı border area in rural Latakia to coordinate joint efforts.
The two sides agreed to deploy two Turkish firefighting helicopters and 11 vehicles, including eight fire trucks and three water supply units, to support operations in northern Latakia.
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Al-Saleh added that the joint response is being coordinated through Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure readiness, share real-time information, and strengthen rapid intervention.
On Friday, the White Helmets warned that rough terrain, the lack of firebreaks and roads, and limited water sources are making firefighting efforts more difficult. The group also cited the presence of unexploded ordnance and landmines near al-Atira in Jabal Turkman, north of Latakia, as a serious risk for crews on the ground. The wildfires have spread also to residential areas in Kasab, Qastal Maaf, Beit Al-Qasir, Al-Basit, which forced many residents to evacuate their homes.
Abdulkafi Kayyal, director of the Civil Defense’s Coastal Directorate, estimated that the affected area spans more than 20 square kilometers.
Minister al-Saleh arrived in Latakia on Friday to oversee operations to contain the massive fires.
Yesterday, Syrian Civil Defense teams managed to extinguish another major forest fire near Damascus after more than seven hours of continuous work.
