Turkey sends firefighting aircraft to Syria as wildfires rage on both sides of the border
Eleven fire trucks and water support vehicles were also dispatched to help beat back flames in Syria's northwest Latakia region, according to Raed Al Saleh, the Syrian minister of emergency and disaster management. He posted on X, saying 'sudden wildfires in Turkey' delayed their arrival by almost a day.
Turkey has been battling wildfires since June 26.
Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said Saturday that firefighters successfully controlled 10 major fires in western Turkey, but an injured forestry worker had died, the third in the municipality of Odemis in Izmir province.
Authorities said most of the fires in Izmir were caused by faulty power lines.
Meanwhile, in Hatay province, which borders Syria, emergency crews continued fighting a blaze that broke out Friday afternoon in the Dortyol district near a residential area and rapidly intensified due to strong winds, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Some 920 homes had been evacuated as a precaution against the advancing flames, Governor Mustafa Musatli said late Friday.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 44 suspects had been detained in relation to 65 fires that broke out across the country.
Fires that have hit Turkey, Greece and Syria over the past week have been fueled by soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity. In Turkey, they led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and damaged some 200 homes.
The Syrian Civil Defense expressed concerns over the presence of unexploded ordnance from the country's past conflicts in some of the wildfire areas.
Summer fires are common in the eastern Mediterranean region, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
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Arab News
12 hours ago
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UN teams deploy to Syrian coast as wildfires force hundreds to flee
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Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Syria fights ‘catastrophic' fires for fourth day
DAMASCUS: Syrian authorities said some 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest had 'turned to ash' in wildfires as firefighters from neighboring Jordan arrived Sunday to battle a fourth day of blazes in the province of Latakia. Syrian emergency workers have faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain in the coastal province and the danger of explosive war remnants, in a country worn down by years of conflict and economic crisis. An AFP correspondent in Latakia's Rabiaa region saw emergency workers battling a blaze near homes, while vast swathes of forest and olive groves were burnt and smoke filled the air over a long distance. Jordanian civil defense teams crossed into Syria on Sunday morning, the Syrian ministry for emergencies and disaster management said, after Turkiye sent assistance a day earlier. Minister Raed Al-Saleh said on X that 'hundreds of thousands of forest trees over an estimated area of around 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) in 28 locations have turned to ash.' He later decried 'a real environmental disaster' at a press conference in the province. More than 80 teams including civil defense personnel have been helping battle the blaze, he said, noting local organizations and residents were also providing assistance, in addition to teams and firefighting aircraft from neighboring Jordan and Turkiye. Saleh said it would take days to declare the blazes completely extinguished once the fire was brought under control, calling them 'catastrophic.' Syria's defense ministry said the air force was assisting, publishing images of a helicopter collecting and dropping water. Jordan's public security directorate said in a statement that the 'specialized firefighting teams from the civil defense... have been provided with all the modern equipment and machinery necessary to carry out their duties to the fullest extent.' Swathes of forested area and farmland have burnt and some villages evacuated as the fires raged including near the Turkish border. The United Nations deputy envoy to Syria Najat Rochdi said in a statement Sunday on X that Damascus 'needs more international assistance' to face the fires. A statement from the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula said that 'UN teams are on the ground conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the disaster and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs.' Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country's economy, infrastructure and public services. With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization told AFP that Syria had 'not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.'
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Turkey sends firefighting aircraft to Syria as wildfires rage on both sides of the border
Turkey sent two firefighting aircraft Saturday to help battle wildfires in neighboring Syria as Turkish firefighters battled a blaze on their side of the border and one person was reported dead in the country's west. Eleven fire trucks and water support vehicles were also dispatched to help beat back flames in Syria's northwest Latakia region, according to Raed Al Saleh, the Syrian minister of emergency and disaster management. He posted on X, saying 'sudden wildfires in Turkey' delayed their arrival by almost a day. Turkey has been battling wildfires since June 26. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said Saturday that firefighters successfully controlled 10 major fires in western Turkey, but an injured forestry worker had died, the third in the municipality of Odemis in Izmir province. Authorities said most of the fires in Izmir were caused by faulty power lines. Meanwhile, in Hatay province, which borders Syria, emergency crews continued fighting a blaze that broke out Friday afternoon in the Dortyol district near a residential area and rapidly intensified due to strong winds, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Some 920 homes had been evacuated as a precaution against the advancing flames, Governor Mustafa Musatli said late Friday. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 44 suspects had been detained in relation to 65 fires that broke out across the country. Fires that have hit Turkey, Greece and Syria over the past week have been fueled by soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity. In Turkey, they led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and damaged some 200 homes. The Syrian Civil Defense expressed concerns over the presence of unexploded ordnance from the country's past conflicts in some of the wildfire areas. Summer fires are common in the eastern Mediterranean region, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
