Civil Defense: Control over Most Fires in the Countryside of Latakia

Latakia – The Director of Civil Defense in the governorate, Abdul Kafi Kiyal, announced that firefighting teams were able, after five days of continuous work, to control more than 80% of the fires raging in Jabal al-Turkmen in the countryside of Latakia, and to stop their spread.

Kiyal explained that the central operations room continues to coordinate firefighting efforts, as teams have begun cooling operations at more than ten sites, currently focusing on preventing the rekindling of fires and securing the affected areas.

He pointed out that the main areas controlled include Burj al-Qasab, Deir Hanna, al-Sukriyah, al-Rihaniyah, and the Rabiah road towards Kasb, while firefighting teams are still dealing with limited hotspots in the villages of Zuweik, al-Safkun, and Shamsin.

He confirmed that operations are being carried out under difficult weather conditions, within an emergency plan aimed at protecting lives, property, and natural forests, expressing hope to complete extinguishing the fires within the coming hours.

It is worth mentioning that the Latakia governorate witnessed similar fires last July that lasted 12 days, burning more than 16,000 hectares of forests and agricultural lands, and causing damage to 45 villages, affecting around 1,200 families according to official estimates.