Syrian Civil Defense announced on Thursday, September 25, that it has brought more than 80% of the active wildfires in Latakia’s forests under control.

Firefighting teams and forest brigades managed to halt the spread of the flames and began cooling and monitoring operations at over ten sites across Latakia province, according to the Civil Defense.

Abdel-Kafi Kayyal, director of the Syrian Civil Defense in Latakia, said that firefighting units had contained blazes in multiple locations, including Burj al-Qasb, Deir Hanna, al-Sakriya, al-Rihaniyah, and the Rabia–Kassab road area (northern Latakia countryside). He confirmed that teams had moved into the cooling phase to prevent reignition.

Kayyal added that other sites such as Zureiq, Safkoon, and Shamsi remain active, with firefighting efforts ongoing. These areas are expected to enter the cooling stage in the coming hours.

The Civil Defense also mourned the death of firefighter Alaa Janawro, who succumbed to severe burns on September 22 while battling forest fires in Latakia’s countryside. Three other firefighters were injured, and one fire engine was destroyed while combating blazes in al-Sakriya in the Jabal al-Turkman area (northern Latakia).

On Tuesday evening, Civil Defense units, forest brigades, and local volunteers extinguished a fire that broke out in the forests of Habnamra and Qar Ali in western Homs after three days of work. Teams are now cooling and monitoring the area.

In western Hama, Civil Defense firefighting crews contained a forest fire that broke out on September 22 in the Wadi al-Oyoun area. The spread of the flames was halted by midday September 23, with teams still engaged in cooling operations and monitoring hotspots to prevent reignition.

Challenges facing firefighters

The Civil Defense highlighted the major obstacles its teams face:

• Landmines and remnants of war in Jabal al-Turkman and Jabal al-Akrad (northern Latakia) threaten firefighters’ safety and obstruct access.

• Strong, shifting easterly winds accelerate the spread of fires.

• Rugged terrain complicates operations.

• Lack of nearby water sources, with refill points often 20–30 km away.

• Absence of firebreaks or accessible roads leading to fire sites.

• Extremely dry vegetation amid Syria’s worst drought in 60 years.

• Light rain has little impact in extinguishing the blazes.

Shadi Jawish, head of the Central Forecasting Office at the Syrian Meteorological Department, told Enab Baladi that light rainfall is expected on the coastal region Thursday and Friday, along with a significant drop in temperatures. However, he cautioned that the precipitation will not be sufficient to aid in putting out the wildfires in Latakia and Homs.