Syria's massive wildfires brought under control after days of intense battles
The blazes, which started 10 days ago and swept through the heavily wooded area of several mountain ranges, were fanned by strong winds, scorching summer heat and unexploded ordnance left behind from the country's 13-year civil war.
Firefighters faced hazardous conditions with support from aerial teams and engineering units working to open firebreaks in the dense terrain.
In a statement, the Civil Defense said the spread of the fire was halted on Sunday morning, following 'extensive efforts by firefighting teams and both helicopter and glider aircraft.' Crews remain on the ground conducting cooling operations and monitoring the area to prevent new flare-ups, it added.
More than 15,000 hectares of forest were burned, according to Abed al-Kafi Kayal, a civil defense team leader. 'There are no injuries among residents,' he told The Associated Press. 'Some firefighters were hurt, mostly from slipping, road conditions or the intensity of the flames.'
Firefighting helicopters swept low over ridgelines on Saturday, dumping water onto hotspots as ground crews worked below to contain flare-ups. Among the pilots were defectors who had left the Syrian Air Force in 2012 during the uprising against President Bashar Assad. Now, some have rejoined under the new government and are contributing to the emergency effort.
Col. Ameen al-Ameen, who returned to service after 14 years, said his team has been flying 'day and night' for 10 consecutive days. 'We are extinguishing fires and doing our duty toward our country and people, who need us after this long period,' he said.
By Saturday evening, teams had successfully contained hotspots on all fronts. The civil defense statement praised the 'tremendous efforts' of Syrian firefighters along with Turkish and Arab support teams, and noted that roads and fire lines were being cut through the forest to help prevent future spread.
Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said the firefighting efforts had reached a 'promising stage' by Saturday night. 'The scene is changing, the smoke is clearing and teams continue working intensively to extinguish remaining hotspots,' he said.
The United Nations also stepped in to support the
emergency response
. U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, announced on Thursday the allocation of $625,000 from the Syria Humanitarian Fund to assist those affected.
Initial U.N. assessments suggest thousands have been displaced, with significant damage to farmland, infrastructure, and livelihoods in the coastal region. U.N. agencies said they are coordinating closely with local authorities and stand ready to mobilize further aid if needed.
'The wildfires have had catastrophic consequences on the local communities and require our immediate attention,' said Abdelmoula. He called on international donors to step up, warning that 'timely and flexible funding is critical to saving lives and protecting communities in moments of crisis.'
Al-Saleh praised the assistance of firefighting teams from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Qatar.
'We promise our people that we will not leave until the last spark has been extinguished,' he said.
Summer fires are common in the eastern Mediterranean region, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions that lead to blazes.
Also,
below-average rainfall over the winter
left Syrians struggling with water shortages this summer, as the springs and rivers that normally supply much of the population with drinking water have gone dry.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Appeals court won't reinstate AP access to presidential events
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday denied an appeal by The Associated Press for a hearing on its efforts to restore full access to cover presidential events, not ending its case but allowing the White House to continue its control over access to President Donald Trump. The news outlet wanted the court to overturn a three-judge panel's June 6 ruling not to let AP back into the events until merits of the news organization's lawsuit against Trump was decided. But the court on Tuesday declined to hear that appeal. It all stems from Trump's decision in February to keep AP journalists out of the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events too small for a full press corps, in retaliation for the news outlet's decision not to follow his lead in changing the Gulf of Mexico's name. The AP sued in response. In April, a district court ruled that the administration could not exclude journalists based on their opinions. The Trump administration immediately turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals to successfully delay implementation of the ruling before the court could consider the full merits of the case. Next up: This fall, the appeals court considers those full merits. 'We are disappointed by today's procedural decision but remain focused on the strong district court opinion in support of free speech as we have our case heard,' said Patrick Maks, an AP spokesman. 'As we've said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation.' The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. Since the start of the case, the White House has instituted new rules for access to the limited-space events. AP photographers have been regularly permitted back, but its reporters only occasionally. On Monday, the White House said it would not allow a reporter from The Wall Street Journal onto Air Force One to cover Trump's weekend trip to Scotland because of the outlet's 'fake and defamatory conduct' in a story about the president and late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Appeals court won't reinstate AP access to presidential events
The U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday denied an appeal by The Associated Press for a hearing on its efforts to restore full access to cover presidential events, not ending its case but allowing the White House to continue its control over access to President Donald Trump. The news outlet wanted the court to overturn a three-judge panel's June 6 ruling not to let AP back into the events until merits of the news organization's lawsuit against Trump was decided. But the court on Tuesday declined to hear that appeal. It all stems from Trump's decision in February to keep AP journalists out of the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events too small for a full press corps, in retaliation for the news outlet's decision not to follow his lead in changing the Gulf of Mexico's name. The AP sued in response. In April, a district court ruled that the administration could not exclude journalists based on their opinions. The Trump administration immediately turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals to successfully delay implementation of the ruling before the court could consider the full merits of the case. Next up: This fall, the appeals court considers those full merits. 'We are disappointed by today's procedural decision but remain focused on the strong district court opinion in support of free speech as we have our case heard,' said Patrick Maks, an AP spokesman. 'As we've said throughout, the press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation.' Since the start of the case, the White House has instituted new rules for access to the limited-space events. AP photographers have been regularly permitted back, but its reporters only occasionally. On Monday, the White House said it would not allow a reporter from The Wall Street Journal onto Air Force One to cover Trump's weekend trip to Scotland because of the outlet's 'fake and defamatory conduct' in a story about the president and late financier Jeffrey Epstein. ___
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump announces trade deal with Japan that lowers threatened tariff to 15%
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced a trade framework with Japan on Tuesday, placing a 15% tax on goods imported from that nation. 'This Deal will create Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs — There has never been anything like it,' Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that the United States 'will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan.' The president said Japan would invest 'at my direction' $550 billion into the U.S. and would 'open' its economy to American autos and rice. The 15% tax on imported Japanese goods is a meaningful drop from the 25% rate that Trump, in a recent letter to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, said would be levied starting Aug. 1. With the announcement, Trump is seeking to tout his ability as a dealmaker — even as his tariffs, when initially announced in early April led to a market panic and fears of slower growth that for the moment appear to have subsided. Key details remained unclear from his post, such as whether Japanese-built autos would face a higher 25% tariff that Trump imposed on the sector. But the framework fits a growing pattern for Trump, who is eager to portray the tariffs as win for the U.S. His administration says the revenues will help reduce the budget deficit and more factories will relocate to America to avoid the import taxes and cause trade imbalances to disappear. But the wave of tariffs continues to be a source of uncertainty about whether it could lead to higher prices for consumers and businesses if companies simply pass along the costs. The problem was seen sharply Tuesday after General Motors reported a 35% drop in its net income during the second quarter as it warned that tariffs would hit its business in the months ahead, causing its stock to tumble. As the Aug. 1 deadline for the tariff rates in his letters to world leaders is approaching, Trump also announced a trade framework with the Philippines that would impose a tariff of 19% on its goods, while American-made products would face no import taxes. The president also reaffirmed his 19% tariffs on Indonesia. The U.S. ran a $69.4 billion trade imbalance on goods with Japan last year, according to the Census Bureau. America had a trade imbalance of $17.9 billion with Indonesia and an imbalance of $4.9 billion with the Philippines. Both nations are less affluent than the U.S. and an imbalance means America imports more from those countries than it exports to them. The president is set to impose the broad tariffs listed in his recent letters to other world leaders on Aug. 1, raising questions of whether there will be any breakthrough in talks with the European Union. At a Tuesday dinner, Trump said the EU would be in Washington on Wednesday for trade talks. 'We have Europe coming in tomorrow, the next day,' Trump told guests. The president earlier this month sent a letter threatening the 27 member states in the EU with 30% taxes on their goods to be imposed starting on Aug. 1. The Trump administration has a separate negotiating period with China that is currently set to run through Aug. 12 as goods from that nation are taxed at an additional 30% baseline. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he would be in the Swedish capital of Stockholm next Monday and Tuesday to meet with his Chinese counterparts. Bessent said his goal is to shift the American economy away from consumption and to enable more consumer spending in the manufacturing-heavy Chinese economy. 'President Trump is remaking the U.S. into a manufacturing economy,' Bessent said on the Fox Business Network show 'Mornings with Maria.' 'If we could do that together, we do more manufacturing, they do more consumption. That would be a home run for the global economy.'
