Syria evacuates residents as wildfires devastate Latakia

Syrian authorities have begun evacuating several villages in the Latakia province as large-scale forest fires continue to sweep across the country's coastal regions. The blazes, fueled by strong winds and prolonged drought, have posed a growing threat to both residents and agricultural land.

According to Abdulkafi Kayyal, head of the Directorate of Disasters and Emergencies in Latakia, the fires in the Qastal Maaf area have encroached on nearby villages, forcing emergency crews to carry out evacuations to prevent civilian casualties. His remarks were reported by the state-run SANA news agency on Friday.

Syrian Civil Defence teams, also known as the White Helmets, confirmed widespread damage to farmlands and orchards across the Latakia countryside. The group also issued warnings about thick smoke drifting toward the northern coastal mountains, the city of Hama, its surrounding areas, and parts of southern Idlib.

“Our teams recorded losses in the orchards due to the widespread spread of the forest fire in several areas of the Latakia countryside,” the civil defence said in a statement, urging the public to report any suspected arson to local authorities.

Rescue efforts have been further complicated by the presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance in the fire zones, a legacy of Syria’s years-long conflict. Emergency teams say these hazards, coupled with strong winds, are making it more difficult to contain the flames.

The fires come amid increasingly harsh climate conditions in Syria. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) described the country as facing its worst climate crisis in six decades, with a drought threatening to plunge over 16 million people into food insecurity.

Syria’s vulnerability to climate extremes has worsened in the wake of more than a decade of war, with infrastructure weakened and emergency services stretched thin. The current crisis unfolds as the country remains in a fragile political transition following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad last December.

Authorities continue to monitor fire activity across affected regions, with firefighting teams and civil defence units mobilized to contain new outbreaks.