Syria: Wildfires force evacuations in countryside

Syrian firefighters began evacuating residents from their homes in the Latakia countryside as wildfires rapidly advanced towards populated areas, according to The National on July 8th.

Since July 2nd, fires have broken out across Syria’s coastal regions, which host much of the country’s remaining green space.

Firefighters are working to contain the flames and evacuate communities at risk. In response to the escalating crisis, Turkey and Jordan have dispatched fire engines and aircraft to assist with containing the fire.

As wind speeds increased, the fires quickly spread towards residential areas near the village of Al Ghassaniya, in the Ras Al Basit district of Latakia, according to Syrian state news agency Sana.

Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed Al Saleh, described the fires as “one of the most difficult” to control due to the rugged terrain.

The affected region accounts for the majority of Syria’s vegetation, covering approximately 4,000 square kilometres – 2% of the country’s total land area – based on data recorded in 2010 before the civil war began. Alongside Latakia, the wildfires have also spread to parts of the Baniyas and Tartous governorates.

Years of illegal logging, unlicensed construction, and unsustainable farming practices, particularly during the 13-year conflict, have severely damaged Syria’s forests. Compounding the crisis, the country, once an agricultural hub for the region, is now enduring one of its worst droughts in decades. 

The National, Maghrebi.org, Sana