Wildfires in regime-held areas | Head of Syrian regime inspects his hometown of al-Qardaha, as over 200 areas and sites burned in al-Sahel and Homs

Reliable sources have informed SOHR that the head of the Syrian regime Bashar al-Assad, toured some areas which were engulfed in fires in the Syrian coast. He visited both Ballorant and Bassot in the countryside of al-Qardaha in Latakia province.

It is worth nothing that Al-Qaradah is the hometown of the president of the Syrian regime, and saw fires that spread over large areas and caused serious damage.

Yesterday, the Syrian Observatory published a detailed report on the fires which have engulfed the Syrian regime-held areas for nearly a week.

According to SOHR report, huge fires have engulfed large areas of forests, reserves and agricultural orchards from the rural latakia and Tartus on the Syrian coast to Homs countryside, over the past 5 days.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the burning of more than 200 sites and the damage of dozens of villages and the burning of some of them completely.

Areas in al-Qardaha, the stronghold of the Syrian regime’s head, Bashar al-Assad, saw the largest fires. The names of burned villages and towns are as follows: (1) Zentot, (2) Bassot, (3) Al-Fakhoura area, (4) Al-Rija, (5) Deir Hanna, (6) Kalwariya, (7) Kalmakho, (8) Deir Zinon, (9) Jabal al-Arbaeen, (10) Al-Mahalba Castle, (11) Kafraz, (12) Qalamoun, (13) Qurousso, (14) Wadi Jalila, (15) Jabal al-Arin, (16) Bakie’a, (17) Bahawaria, (18) Al-Jobeiria, (19) Bhamra, (20) Bakneh, (21) Beit Sohein, (22) Nina, (23) Dabbash, (24) Quiqa, (25) Mairban, (26) Qomin, (27) Talaro, (28) Harf al-Hawa, (29) Sheikh Reeh, (30) Astamu, (31) Ain Jindal, (32) the perimeter of the main road of the city of Qardaha, (33) General Tobacco Storage Department and (34) national hospital perimeter.”  

The Syrian Observatory has also documented the burning of various areas of forests, reserves, mountains and agricultural orchards in the villages and towns of Jabala. The names of burned villages and towns are as follows: (1) Bsheli, (2) Qarn Haliya, (3) Castle of Bani Qahtan, (4) Al-Boody, (5) Horan al-Boody, (6) al-Mardasiya, (7) Kfardabil, (8) Betman, (9) Al-Sakhabeh al-Ajrad, (10) Bisotar, (11) Ras Maloukh, (12) Ras Al Ain, (13) Ghanili, (14) Bashili, (15) Al-Safarqiya, (16) Qarous, (17) Sakhaba, (18) Sarbyoun, (19) Kfarya, (20) Daher Barakat, (21) Raoush, (22) Al-Batshah, (23) Ain Jandal, (24) Beit Yashout, (25) Ain Ghannam, (26) the highway, (27) Derotan, (28) Al-Hawiz Dam, (29) Qarfis, (30) Sokas, (31) Wadi Al-Jab, (32) Bastoir, (33) Galmasia, (34) Benjaru and (35) perimeter of the Military College.

In Latakia province, large areas of villages, towns and cities were also burned: “(1) al-Basit, (2) Al-Mazira’a area, (3) the vicinity of Salah al-Din Al-Ayoubi Castle, (4) Ras al-Basit beach, (4) Al-Hafa, (5) the mountains surrounding Peloran Dam, (6) Qastal Ma’af, (7) Um al-Touyour, (8) Salhia, (9) Al-Sukkaria, (10) Al-Manara, (11) Al-Shouh reserve in Slounfa area, (12) Al-Qamohia. (13) Basta, (14) Ayn al-Teena, (15) Al-Badrousia, (16) Rastin, (17) Biadar Maiz, (18) Nabeie al Khandaq, (19) two forest fires in the area of Kassab, and another one in the area of al-Sharaa, and another in Salamiya area, as well as moderate fires in Jab Hassan, Maronites and Qataris.”

As of Tartus governorate, the Syrian Observatory has monitored huge fires which engulfed the fowllowing areas: “Mount Al-Sayyida in Mashta al-Helou, Kafroun, Harsh al-Medirjat, Al-Masaqsaq, banks of Al-Bassil dam, Zamrin, Jabal Hamad, Zgrin, Jenenat Raslan”.

In Banias, fires broke out in the areas of “Sheikh Hamdan, Serges, Al-Anaza area, Belghons, Harisson, Ras al-Wata, Bustan al-Hammam, and the fires reached greenhouses the international road Banyas-Latakia”.

In Homs governorate, fires have devoured large areas of forests and agricultural orchards in “Burj Ali, Zweitina, Broken Tower, Habnemra, Dam al-Mazinaa, Um al-Mays, Al-Jawikhat, al-Muzayna, forests located near the village of Um al-Mays, Ayoun al-Wadi and al-Jamous.”

The fires caused four deaths and more than 100 suffocation cases due to fires smoke caused by the largest series of fires in Syria, while more than 27,000 families, livestock and infrastructure in areas where fires broke out have been affected.