Syrian Civil Defense teams continue efforts for the third consecutive day to extinguish wildfires in the countryside of Latakia (northwestern Syria) and Homs (central Syria).

Abdel-Kafi Kayyal, director of Emergency and Disaster Management in Latakia, told Enab Baladi on Monday, September 22, that several fires remain active in multiple spots in the Jabal al-Akrad area of Latakia’s countryside.

He confirmed that while some fires have been contained, the largest blaze is still burning in the forests between the villages of al-Rihaniyah and al-Sakriyah, in the Rabia area of Jabal al-Turkman (northeastern Latakia countryside). Strong winds are hampering the teams’ ability to achieve full control.

Kayyal noted that assistance had been requested from Civil Defense units in other provinces, including heavy machinery to contain the flames.

Challenges facing firefighters

Civil Defense teams and forest firefighting brigades are facing major challenges due to rugged terrain and strong winds that fuel the spread of flames, in addition to the presence of war remnants that increase risks on the ground, according to Kayyal.

The Civil Defense announced today that three firefighters were injured and one fire engine was destroyed while combating wildfires in the al-Sakriyah area of Jabal al-Turkman.

Another forest fire broke out in the Ain Ghazal area of Latakia’s countryside, spreading across an estimated four kilometers. Civil Defense teams began their response amid serious difficulties due to landmines in the area.

Firefighting teams from Aleppo province were also dispatched today to support efforts in the Rabia area.

Fires in Homs countryside

The Civil Defense said that flames are spreading rapidly in the western countryside of Homs, reaching civilian homes in the village of Habnamrah.

Firefighting teams, in cooperation with local residents, have been working for the third day to extinguish the blaze. Efforts are complicated by the rugged terrain and winds that fuel the spread of dry shrubs and grass.

One firefighter suffered respiratory distress from heavy smoke inhalation during operations.

Previous wildfires

In August, Civil Defense teams, with support from other agencies, announced the extinguishing of large wildfires in Hama and Latakia.

On August 17, Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed al-Saleh, said in a post on X that all wildfires in the western countryside of Hama had been fully extinguished and cooled, with the area kept under observation to prevent reignition.

The fires had extended to the Shathah area in the al-Ghab Plain and to the Jableh countryside of Latakia, where clearance of war remnants also complicated efforts, according to al-Saleh, who spoke to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Helicopters from the Syrian Ministry of Defense, operating from al-Mezzeh Airbase in Damascus, participated in firefighting operations in Hama’s countryside.

Earlier, on July 15, al-Saleh announced that wildfires in Latakia province had been brought fully under control after 12 days of continuous operations.

He stressed that this marked the end of the emergency response phase and the beginning of another equally important stage: protecting remaining forests and rehabilitating areas destroyed by fire.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, more than 14,000 hectares were damaged in those fires as of August 4.