By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
The wildfires burning in the countryside of Latakia are coming under control, but a few hot spots remain. Saturday night was very difficult as the winds picked up and worked against the firefighting efforts.
The Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed Al-Saleh, announced in a post on the X platform, the establishment of a coordination room to deal with the accelerated expansion of the wildfires still buring on the Syrian northern coast. Hot temperatures, low humidity and gusting winds have spread the fires across a large area.
Al-Saleh explained that the coordination room included a number of Syrian active organizations, which had already begun to provide logistical and field support, in order to strengthen efforts to extinguish the fires.
Jordan has announced sending eight teams of firefighters, helicopters and 20 vehicles. They have crossed the border on their way to Latakia. Turkish helicopters are part of the international effort to stop the fires.
Al-Saleh noted that efforts included securing water vehicles to support the teams, organizing voluntary teams of people who had received prior training in the Fire Operation, as well as providing heavy machinery to open fire lines, assist in the fire fighting and reduce the spread of fire.
The recent wildfires which swept through the northern Latakia countryside, have placed saving the environment on center stage. The time has come to learn from others how Syria can face the dangers of climate-change and weather-related fires.
Al-Saleh held an emergency meeting with Turkish partners, while coordinating the quick response to the huge wildfires of the Latakia countryside on Friday.
An agreement was reached on the participation of two helicopters operating as fire extinguishers, and 11 vehicles such as 8 fire engines and 3 water-supply tankers.
This coordination is done in cooperation between the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Turkish authorities to ensure readiness, exchange field information, and promote a rapid response to stopping the fires being spread by high winds and dry weather.
Nearly 5,000 hectares have been affected by the fires in Latakia, while 62 teams arrived to take part in firefighting operations in the northern Latakia countryside.
The situation is now stable, with initial estimates indicating that the area affected by the fires had reached around 5,000 hectares.
The Media Office at the Ministry of Emergency and Disasters reported to Al-Thawra regarding the Latakia fires. The fires occurred in the coastal region, stretching over more than twenty kilometers, and have affected several villages, including: Al-Midan, Zanf, and Rabia.
Around 350 volunteers were present at the scene, distributed across seven operational fronts. Reinforcements were dispatched from various provinces, including firefighting teams, ambulances, logistical support, and water tankers.
The teams worked to combat the fires in all hotspots, in full coordination among all concerned parties, with the participation of the medical and emergency response system present on site.
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