For the third consecutive day .. Massive forest fires between Latakia and Hama

The northwestern coastal region of Syria, specifically between the provinces of Latakia and Hama, is witnessing massive forest fires that have been ongoing for three days, with their area and intensity increasing during the past night, amid intensive efforts from firefighting and civil defense teams to contain the rapidly spreading flames due to active winds and rough terrain.

According to what was published by the official Syrian "News" channel and the Syrian civil defense through social media platforms, the fires have so far resulted in injuries to several civilians and a firefighter who suffered burns, cases of suffocation, and bruises, who were transported to nearby health centers, while others received first aid inside ambulances.

The Syrian civil defense stated that its teams, along with firefighting brigades and forestry firefighting units, dealt on Tuesday with seven forest fires in the provinces of Latakia and Hama, during which they managed to extinguish three fires, while four fires are still burning at the moment.

It was noted that one firefighter was seriously injured due to a rock falling on him during the extinguishing operations.

It was also confirmed that the missions face enormous challenges due to the difficult mountainous terrain, significantly high temperatures, in addition to active winds, which increases the speed of fire spread.

The Anab area near the town of Shat'ha in the western countryside of Hama is one of the most prominent burning points, where a large fire broke out at midnight and is still ongoing, with active participation from the locals to support the extinguishing efforts.

The civil defense mentioned that thick smoke has begun to cover large areas of the western countryside of Hama, the city of Hama, and the northern countryside of Homs, causing suffocation among residents and complicating firefighting operations.

The "News" channel also reported that the village of Anab in the Ghab plain is witnessing massive fires that have caused numerous injuries whose numbers have not yet been determined, while firefighting teams continue their operations face-to-face with the flames in the areas of the Bayt Yashout road and the neighboring areas on the northwestern coast.

The fires are still ongoing at the moment, amid fears of their extension to larger residential and agricultural areas, in light of the difficulties in controlling them at night, and official authorities are urging residents to stay away from fire sites and pay attention to their safety.