Azaddin Zuhaira, a 72-year-old retired government employee, survived the turmoil and displacement caused by the destructive earthquake that struck Syria in February. However, this week, wildfires ravaging Latakia province, his hometown, turned his orchards into ashes, marking the worst devastation he has ever witnessed in his life.
Zuhaira, who relied on the harvest from around 700 olive, pomegranate, and walnut trees, lost all of them as the fires rapidly spread due to scorching temperatures.
His modest single-story home had already been affected by the ongoing conflict in recent years, and the earthquake in February dealt another blow to its condition, with Latakia suffering severe damages.
Like other Mediterranean coastal countries, Syria has been hit by devastating forest fires this month, fueled by strong winds and high temperatures. Agriculture Minister Mohammed Hassan Qatana reported that firefighting teams battled forest fires in Homs and Hama in the middle of the current month, and it took five days for rescue teams to gain control over the fires in Latakia.
Qatana highlighted that the speed of the winds played a significant role in the extensive spread of the fires. Among the challenges faced by firefighting teams were the limited coverage of communication networks in the northern region and the acquisition of fire-resistant suits or spare parts for firefighting equipment.
