CNN
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Since Thursday, massive wildfires have torn apart the coastal mountain ranges of Syria’s Jabal Torkmann, destroying thousands of hectares of forests and overwhelming emergency services.
Latakia’s Civil Defense Director Abdel Kafi Kaial said efforts to control the fire were hampered by strong winds, rugged terrain and dangers left behind by landmine dangers left over from years of war.
The fire comes as the new Syrian government seeks to promote the country’s recovery after more than a decade of war and crippling sanctions, with basic services not present in many parts of the country.
The fire burned along a 20-kilometer (12-mile) line, blocking roads and causing thousands to escape the home. They also left some powerless territory.
Drone videos have shown that they progress along the wide front of rugged territory and occasionally burn when encountering dried forests.
“This fire is extremely difficult,” Kaiyal told CNN on Saturday, adding that reinforcements have been called from all over the country.
Despite efforts by more than 60 fire units, the fires are now spreading across parts of Tartus.
Syrian authorities are seeking international support. Turkey dispatched two helicopters and 11 fire engines, and on Sunday, Jordanian civil defense teams participated in efforts to cut the fires across the border.
Satellite data from NASA’s corporate services show that the area burned is now over 180 square kilometers, an area larger than the capital Damascus.
Syrian government figures for 2023 show that the country’s forest cover is around 5,270 square kilometers, suggesting that these fires consumed more than 3% of the country’s total forest area in just three days.
The country is also aware of long-term droughts. The Carnegie Fund Middle East Program last year reported that the entire Euphrates River Basin region, particularly the entire desert region in the south and eastern Syria, suffered from low rainfall and very high temperatures for four years.
