Fires Escalate in the Syrian Coast and Idlib Countryside.. Ministry of Emergencies Warns of Risks of High Temperatures

Forest and woodland areas in the Syrian coast and Idlib countryside have witnessed the ignition of more than 60 fires in the past hours, prompting firefighting teams to intensify their efforts to control the fires, especially in the villages of Qatilbya in the Latakia countryside and Azar in the western Idlib countryside where the two largest fires are still ongoing.

In this regard, Minister of Emergencies and Disasters Raed Al-Saleh warned of the worsening fires with the rise in temperatures, pointing out in a post on the "X" platform the challenges facing firefighting teams due to the rugged terrain, presence of war remnants, as well as the absence of fire lines and paved roads hindering control operations.

Al-Saleh confirmed that the Ministry of Emergencies and Disaster Management has adopted a proactive plan to ensure a rapid and effective response to minimize the impact of fires on vegetation cover. He also called on citizens to take preventive measures, including refraining from lighting fires near agricultural and woodland areas, ensuring complete fire extinguishment after use in designated areas, in addition to avoiding burning dry grass or discarding cigarette butts and glass bottles in those areas, emphasizing the importance of immediate reporting of any fire.

It is worth mentioning that the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) had previously announced dealing with more than 560 fires in agricultural lands since the beginning of the current year until the 8th of June, indicating an increasing fire hazard with the intensification of the summer season.