Arsons | Fires devour forests of rural Latakia and Hama, and fire crews unable to contain them

Fires are still raging in several locations along the forest of al-Sahil mountains, turning thousands of forest and fruit trees into ashes. A large fire broke out that fire crews were unable to contain near the villages of Al-Qarndah, Ain al-Hayat and Petrias on the eastern side of the al-Sahil mountains overlooking Sahl Al-Ghab.

A large fire also broke out in the forestry area near the village of Birat al-Jard in Wadi Al-Ayoun area in Masyaf countryside in Hama governorate. The fire is still raging out of control from the southern and northern sides of the village because of the difficult terrain and access to the fire’s location.

In the latakia countryside, 14 fires broke out, the largest are in the area of Al-Shouh reserve in Slanfah area, al-Qamouhiya, Basta, Ain al-Teena, Bayader al-Durra , two forest fires in the area of Kassab and a large fire in Al-Sha’ara and another one in Salamiyeh area.

There were also fires in Jab Hassan, Maroniyat and al-Qatariyeh.

On September 3, SOHR sources said that forest areas were 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.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has 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.

Plumes of smoke covered the skies of the region, 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.

At the end of August last year, the Syrian Observatory monitored fires in Ain Al-Karroum area and the mountains surrounding the village of Abu Klivon. They are rugged mountainous areas in which oak forests are spread.