Syrian authorities contain 3 major wildfires in Latakia

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Syrian authorities in the western city of Latakia have brought three of the largest wildfire hotspots under control, Gov. Mohammad Othman said Tuesday.

More than 80 firefighting teams from the civil defense and neighboring countries are working in the field, Othman told Anadolu.

“Unfortunately, more than 14,000 hectares have been reduced to ash, and leftover landmines from the fallen regime are severely hampering firefighting efforts,” he added.

Othman noted that aircraft from Türkiye, Jordan and Lebanon are participating in efforts to extinguish the forest fires.

“The fire is still active around Sheikh Hassan village. We’ve deployed fire trucks and teams to forward positions to stop the flames from spreading to other mountainous areas,” he said.

Aerial footage from the affected villages of Zanzouf, al-Qantara, Malikli and Qastal Maaf, where the fires have been contained, reveals the scale of the devastation.

To help combat the blaze, helicopters are collecting water from Lake Ballouran and releasing it over Sheikh Hassan village and the surrounding mountainous terrain.

Fire crews continue to face significant challenges due to dense smoke and rugged topography.

No casualties have been reported as of Tuesday, though dozens of families were evacuated from areas threatened by the flames.

Earlier in the day, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed al-Saleh, said Damascus formally requested assistance from the EU to help contain the fires that have been burning in rural Latakia since July 3.

Wildfires are a seasonal threat in northern Latakia’s forested regions due to high temperatures, dense vegetation and strong winds, making containment especially difficult.