Syria's northern coast ravaged by wildfires; govt says pine forests badly hit

Syria, which continues to recover from the February earthquake, is now battling wildfires supercharged by strong winds and searing temperatures. According to a report by the news agency Reuters on Sunday (July 30), Syria's Agriculture Minister Mohammad Hassaan Qatna said on Saturday that firefighters struggled to extinguish the fires and the fires in Latakia raged for five days before rescuers could control them.

"There were multiple places, far away. The speed of the wind was a factor in the excessive spread of the fires," Agriculture Minister Qatna said during a tour of the area. Other challenges for the firefighters included poor telecoms coverage in the north and the procurement of fireproof suits or spare parts for extinguishing equipment, he added.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The agriculture ministry does not have a final figure of how far the damage had spread, but Qatna said the region's pine forests were badly hit.

'Have never seen any weather like this'

Syrian farmer Izzadin Zuhaira, whose orchards turned into ash, told Reuters, "I've never seen any weather like this. The soil and the trees were so impacted by the heat that they lit up quickly."

Zuhaira had been living off the harvests of around 700 olive, pomegranate and walnut trees, but all of these were destroyed by the spreading fire. His one-storey farmhouse, which has already been damaged by years of war, was further damaged by the February earthquake.

Zuhaira said that after the earthquake the fires came and finished it off, and there was nothing left. The farmer pointed out other challenges for the firefighters, including poor telecoms coverage in the north and the procurement of fireproof suits or spare parts for extinguishing equipment.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.