Fires in Latakia forests | Residents of some villages flee their homes

SOHR eyewitnesses say that a large fire broke out in the mountains of al-Bassit area in the Latakia countryside. Fire has devoured the pine forests, which contains holiday centres, and reached the homes of civilians, forcing dozens of families to flee the area before the fire spread.

Plumes of smoke covered the skies of Latakia countryside to Jabal al-Turkman, coinciding with the heat wave in the Levant and the region, where temperatures rose to more than 40 degrees Celsius, according to the meteorological centre.

Forest areas is experiencing seasonal arson fires that are renewed each year, as some powerful people encroach on forest property, cutting trees to use in the coal industry due to its high price and the high prices of hydrocarbons.

In addition to investing in land and planting olive trees in order to acquire the land later.

On August 31, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored fires breaking out in forest areas in rural Latakia and Hama, one of which broke out near the villages of Salamiya and Beit Louho in rural Latakia, and spread to the vicinity of residential houses, causing significant property damage.

A large fire also broke out on agricultural land in the village of Abu Klevon and spread to the forest area of Ain Al-Karroum area in Sahl Al-Ghab, north-west of Hama. This comes days after a fire was put out in the same area.

Another fire broke out in Jabal Al-Turkman in northern countryside of Latakia as a result of the shelling by regime forces.