Syria, still recovering from the February earthquake, is now facing a new challenge of battling wildfires that have been fueled by strong winds and scorching temperatures. According to a report from Reuters on Sunday (July 30), Syria’s Agriculture Minister, Mohammad Hassaan Qatna, stated on Saturday that firefighters have been struggling to extinguish the fires, with the wildfires in Latakia raging for five days before they could be brought under control.
Agriculture Minister Qatna, during a visit to the affected area, explained that the fires had broken out in multiple locations, and the rapid spread was exacerbated by the strong winds. Firefighters faced additional hurdles due to poor telecoms coverage in the northern regions and difficulties in procuring fireproof suits and spare parts for their extinguishing equipment.
As of now, the agriculture ministry has not provided a final assessment of the extent of the damage, but Qatna mentioned that the region’s pine forests had been severely impacted.
One Syrian farmer, Izzadin Zuhaira, shared his distressing experience with Reuters, stating that he had never witnessed such extreme weather conditions. The intense heat caused the soil and trees to ignite rapidly, turning his orchards, consisting of around 700 olive, pomegranate, and walnut trees, into ash. Sadly, the spreading fire also destroyed his one-storey farmhouse, which had already suffered damage from years of war and the February earthquake.
Zuhaira expressed how the fires followed the earthquake, leaving nothing behind. He highlighted the challenges faced by firefighters, including the lack of adequate telecoms coverage in the northern areas and difficulties in acquiring necessary fireproof suits and spare parts for their equipment.
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