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The National
3 days ago
- Climate
- The National
'You don't get to rest': relentless battle against fires in Syria's coast hampered by landmines
Despite hours of relentless effort, firefighters have not been able to contain the flames consuming the once-lush valley of Qastal Maaf, a village in Syria's Latakia province. 'It's out of control,' one firefighter shouted to his fellow rescuers, as the flames quickly gained ground. Apocalyptic scenes have emerged along Syria's coastal region, as unprecedented blazes have swept through the area for more than 10 days. In Qastal Maaf, the sky turned orange in the haze and ash rained down like snow, carried across Syria's coast by strong winds. Panicked birds circled the smoke-choked sky, their chirps now desperate cries. The battle fought by firefighters that day was one of many they faced over the week. Syria's worst drought in decades and parched soil have whipped devastating blazes, torching more than 15,000 hectares across Latakia − an area bigger than Paris − including agricultural land and crops. That afternoon, the firefighters lost the fight. Despite the efforts of the Syrian Civil Defence, supported by several fire vehicles deployed from Turkey – one of the neighbouring countries that offered assistance – the fire only grew bigger, ripping through the hillside. 'Civilians, leave now,' firefighters ordered. The UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said the wildfires had 'catastrophic consequences on local communities and require our immediate attention'. The UN announced the allocation of $625,000 to support emergency response efforts. The National embedded on Friday with the Syrian Civil Defence, whose members shared the challenges they face in responding to the catastrophe. These include a lack of equipment, the threat of unexploded war ordnance and rough roads. 'The challenges are clear. The mountain roads are difficult. We've had to open paths using chains to reach certain points and access the burning valleys,' Osama Aswad, a responder with the White Helmets, an internationally praised rescue organisation that operated in opposition-held areas, told The National. Deadly legacy Firefighters said they had to use bulldozers to carve paths through forest to reach the raging fires. But the operation is fraught with danger: the land there is full of unexploded ordnance, a deadly legacy across Syria, including Latakia region, which was once among the front lines of Syria's 13-year civil war. In 2014, the part of Latakia now affected by the fire was at the centre of intense fighting between rebels, including the Al Nusra Front- a previous name of the main group within Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, whose leader Ahmad Al Shara is now Syria's President - and former Syrian government forces. Following the surprise offensive by opposition groups, the battle to recapture the region left the land contaminated with unexploded ordnance. This danger has hampered civil defence efforts to tackle the blazes, leading to frustration among fire crews. 'Because there are landmines here, we couldn't go up further,' said civil defence member Turki Sahel, gesturing at burning greenery, the tip of a massive fire that had engulfed the rest of the area. During operations, rescuers have become accustomed to the sound of landmines detonating from the heat, these occasional booms joining the roar of the fire. 'Honestly, it's a hard feeling, if the area were clear, we would have gone in,' added Mr Sahel, as the white haze from the flames thickened, shrouding the area completely. Aerial support has proven essential for accessing contaminated areas. 'We alert the operations unit to see if aerial support is possible,' said Mr Aswad. Above the firefighters, Turkish aircraft could be seen circling overhead. 'You don't get to rest' Efforts have been relentless. At makeshift resting point, a few firefighters are sleeping between shifts tackling the wildfire. Most haven't slept for more than two hours at a time in a week. 'The rest areas here are just for quick breaks, people rest for two or three hours and then go back to work,' Rawad Tobaji, 30, volunteer with the White Helmets since 2016, told The National. The space is sparse: a stove for coffee, a few food parcels and a handful of mattresses laid directly on the ground. 'The job is non-stop, we don't get long rest periods. You never know when a fire might flare up, so you always have to be ready,' he added. Rescue teams also lack equipment to face the disaster as Syria is still reeling from a steep economic crisis as years of w estern sanctions, and more than a decade of conflict have left institutions in tatters. Most of them were wearing simple Covid mask against the fumes. 'Generally, the focus of our needs is on logistical support: diesel, firefighting hoses, spare parts, and bulldozers and heavy engineering equipment,' Raed Saleh, Syria's Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response, told The National on Thursday. Mr Saleh was the head of the White Helmets before being appointed to the ministerial role in March. The White Helmets have recently announced that they will join state institutions as the country attempts to reunite, after the fall of former president Bashar Al Assad last December. Since the fires broke out, Mr Saleh has remained on the ground with civil defence teams. Other countries have sent reinforcements to assist, including Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan. The disaster has sparked a wave of solidarity. Some came spontaneously as volunteers, like Othman Taleb, from Lebanese youth-led environmental organisation Akkar Trail. 'Because Syria and Lebanon have always been one hand, one people. Borders don't divide us, and God willing, nothing ever will,' said Mr Taleb. 'Their forests are our forests, and their people are our people.' Fires were still raging on Saturday in Latakia province while blazes had also erupted in other areas on Friday. Two major wildfires have also broken out in Syria's central Hama province.
Arab News
05-07-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Syria battles forest fires for third day as Turkiye sends help
QASTAL MA'AF, Syria: Syrian emergency workers were battling forest fires raging in the coastal province of Latakia on Saturday for a third day in tough conditions as neighboring Turkiye sent assistance. An AFP correspondent saw strong winds fanning the flames in forest areas and farmland in Qastal Maaf, around a dozen kilometers (eight miles) from the Turkish border, as residents continued to flee with what they could carry. Some residential areas in the region were evacuated a day earlier. Syria's ministry for emergencies and disaster management said teams from Turkiye began helping on Saturday morning 'as part of regional coordination to face the fires,' with the assistance including two aircraft and eight fire trucks. Turkiye, a key supporter of Syria's new authorities, has been battling its own fires in recent days, including near the Syrian border. The AFP correspondent saw helicopters bearing the Turkish flag flying over Qastal Maaf assisting firefighters on the ground. Syria's civil defense said a volunteer firefighter suffered from smoke inhalation and a service vehicle caught fire. More than 60 Syrian civil defense and other teams were fighting fires across several areas of Latakia province, the ministry said. It cited 'very difficult conditions, with the explosion of war remnants and mines,' strong winds and high temperatures, adding that mountainous terrain was hampering efforts to reach some blazes. More than six months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that also left munitions and ordnance scattered across the country. With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves, low rainfall and major forest fires. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization told AFP that Syria had 'not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.'
