Syria wildfire scorches over 100 km², triggers explosions and exodus

Dubai: Syria is grappling with one of its worst environmental disasters in recent memory, as wildfires raging across the coastal province of Latakia have incinerated over 100 square kilometers of forest and farmland, prompting mass evacuations, power outages, and an urgent international response.

What began on June 30 as scattered blazes fuelled by heat, drought and high winds has escalated into a full-scale environmental emergency.

“Hundreds of thousands of forest trees... have turned to ash,” said Raed al-Saleh, Syria’s emergency management chief, in a press conference, describing the scale of destruction as “catastrophic.”

More than 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) across at least 28 sites in Latakia province have been affected, with fires advancing through rugged, mountainous terrain where explosive remnants of war complicate the response.

The Civil Defence reported that detonations of leftover mines have slowed crews and threatened lives. “This is not just a natural disaster, it’s layered over years of conflict,” one emergency official told local media.

At least 1,100 residents have been displaced from villages including Beit Ayoush, Al Mazra’a, and Saboura. Entire olive groves and animal shelters have been destroyed, while power infrastructure, including Latakia’s Al Basit station, has been damaged, cutting off electricity and water to thousands.

Thick plumes of smoke have reached neighboring Hama and southern Idlib, where health officials issued warnings for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.

Temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) and wind gusts of over 60 km/h have hindered aerial firefighting and delayed ground response in hard-to-reach areas.

On Sunday, Jordanian firefighting helicopters and civil defense teams crossed the border to assist, bolstering efforts that already included support from Turkey and 80 Syrian emergency teams.

Jordan deployed two Black Hawk helicopters equipped for aerial firefighting, while Syria’s Air Force was seen using bucket-equipped aircraft to douse the flames.

The United Nations said its emergency teams were on the ground conducting rapid needs assessments. “Syria needs more international assistance,” tweeted Najat Rochdi, the UN deputy special envoy to Syria.

UN humanitarian coordinator Adam Abdelmoula confirmed that urgent shelter, water, food, medical supplies, and psychosocial support were needed for those affected.

In a region already devastated by more than a decade of war, deteriorating infrastructure, and economic collapse, the wildfires have further exposed Syria’s vulnerabilities to climate-related threats. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization noted in June that Syria was experiencing its worst climate conditions in six decades.

While international assistance has trickled in, local officials said that containment may still take days, and full extinguishment even longer. "We are racing against time and wind," one firefighter said.