For the second day in row, Huge fires sweep forests of Latakia, Tartus

SANAA, Oct. 11 (YPA) – Large areas of Syria are experiencing massive fires that have wiped out large areas of forest, while fire fighting continues in the forests of Latakia, Tartus and the western countryside of Homs.

The fire broke out in the east of the Syrian city of Gabala, while Syrian army elements evacuated residents from some houses near the fire on the outskirts of The Qardaha in the southeastern of Latakia.

The fires have destroyed more than 6,000 dunums in the forests and orchards of Latakia, while three people died of asphyxiation in the Latakia countryside and 70 others sustained various injuries.

The Latakia Health Directorate announced the death of a 30-year-old man from Al-Fakhoura as a result of fires in the area after he was rescued by residents to a private hospital.

Thousands of families were forced to leave their villages and towns in those areas, while a large number of farmers lost their livelihoods from olive groves and citrus fruits.

Members of the fire brigade,  the Agriculture Directorate and the Forestry Department in Tartous continued their efforts on Friday to put out fires that damaged large areas of agricultural land, forestry and greenhouses.

Last September, fires broke out in al-Ghab and the  countryside of “Masyaf”, but Syrian fire brigades worked to put out the fires that were then raging in a number of forest edifices that had devoured large agricultural and forest areas.

Many of these fires were arson,” according to Sana News Agency.

E.M