The Media Line: Wildfires Ravage Syria’s Northwest as Turkey and Jordan Join Firefighting Effort 

Wildfires Ravage Syria’s Northwest as Turkey and Jordan Join Firefighting Effort 

By Rizik Alabi/The Media Line 

The mountainous coastal region in northwest Syria, particularly the northern rural areas of Latakia, is experiencing one of the worst waves of wildfires in years. The fires have spread extensively, consuming vast tracts of forests and agricultural lands amid rugged terrain and strong winds, which have hampered containment efforts. These fires have not been confined within Syria’s borders; they have also extended into border areas with Turkey, prompting unprecedented regional cooperation among firefighting teams from Syria, Turkey, and Jordan. 

Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh told The Media Line that the field situation has notably improved, with control achieved over many active fire hotspots across various parts of rural Latakia, especially in Mashqita, Draykish, and al-Qadmus. He explained that firefighting teams have commenced cooling operations aimed at preventing reignition and limiting the fires’ spread to new areas. 

Mohammed Othman, a volunteer with the Syrian Civil Defense, told The Media Line that aerial intervention has played a crucial role in these operations. Two Turkish firefighting planes arrived after a day’s delay caused by simultaneous wildfires within Turkey. These aircraft joined intensive ground and air efforts from Syrian and Turkish teams, and Jordanian teams are preparing to enter the field operations. 

Turkey’s assistance extended beyond aerial support; it also sent 11 fire trucks and water support vehicles, coordinated through a joint operations room involving Syrian civil defense organizations, various Syrian ministries, and more than 80 field teams with 160 different vehicles. This collaborative effort came at a critical moment, requiring broad coordination to ensure a rapid and effective response to this environmental disaster. 

This crisis unfolds amid concurrent wildfires in Turkey, where, since June 26, large-scale forest fires have raged across multiple regions in the west. Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumaklı announced that 10 major fires have been brought under control. At the same time, the death toll has risen to three after a worker succumbed to injuries sustained in İzmir. 

In Turkey’s border province of Hatay, a fierce fire erupted Friday in Dörtyol, near residential neighborhoods, leading to the evacuation of more than 900 homes amid strong winds that rapidly spread the flames. This fire posed a new challenge to Turkish authorities, who reported the arrest of 44 suspects linked to igniting 65 wildfires across the country, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. 

Beyond rugged terrain and rapidly spreading fires fueled by winds, Syrian civil defense teams have warned of the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance in some burned areas, especially those previously affected by military conflicts. These hazards restrict safe access for firefighting crews and complicate containment efforts, thereby increasing the risk to responders.