Latakia, SANA – Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said Sunday that the disastrous wildfires damaged an area of 10 thousand hectares in Latakia countryside, as some 80 teams and 180 vehicles work to extinguish fires.
In a press statement from the Latakia countryside, the minister said that: “The consequences of the fires are undoubtedly catastrophic, and we are working within our capabilities” with the support of the Turkish and Jordanian firefighting teams to extinguish the fires.
The Minister thanked the Turkish government for sending 16 teams to help extinguish the fires, as well as the Jordanian government for sending firefighting teams and six helicopters to help extinguish the intense blazes.
“If the weather conditions remained as they are and the wind speed does not increase, the fires may be controlled today,” the minister predicted, but he said “that cannot be declared completely extinguished because this requires several days of monitoring and follow-up.”
The Minister added that “no civilian victims” were recounted in the fires as it was the priority of the firefighting teams to protect their lives and injuries were limited as only eight Civil Defense personnel were slightly injured.
He called on all Syrians for support in battling wildfires. “We ask everyone to support us” the minister said, urging residents to report any fire and those setting it.
“The fires have damaged 10,000 hectares, that constitutes a true environmental disaster” the minister said adding that the ministry is coordinating with international and relevant institutions to develop short-, medium-, and long-term plans for forest restoration.
The Minister of Emergency confirmed that compensation is being considered for residents whose property was damaged, and that the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor will visit the area soon to assess the situation and determine the required assistance.
Al-Saleh noted that the current plan is to control and extinguish fires and the emergency plan is to open lines in each area to facilitate firefighting teams’ access, whereas the intermediate plan is to open permanent centers in these areas equipped with all the capabilities to enable a rapid response to any fire. The long-term plan is to ensure that these forests are equipped with early warning systems, thermal cameras, and remote sensors to ensure their safety.
Abdul/
