'You don't get to rest': Relentless battle against fires in Syria's coast hampered by landmines

Fires have been contained after unprecedented blazes swept through Latakia for more than 10 days

For 10 days, Syria's coastal forests have been engulfed in blazes, swallowing villages in smoke and turning once-vibrant hillsides into blackened wastelands.

Now, at last, the fires have been brought under control - but only after a gruelling, dangerous campaign fought by exhausted crews who listened for the deadly pop of landmines detonating beneath their feet.

Syria’s civil defence agency said on Saturday the fires had been brought under control “on all fronts”, after crews managed to halt their spread and contain remaining hotspots.

Hours earlier, firefighters had not been able to contain the flames consuming the once-lush valley of Qastal Maaf, a village in Syria’s Latakia province, despite hours of relentless effort.

“It's out of control,” one firefighter shouted to his fellow rescuers, as the flames quickly gained ground.

Apocalyptic scenes have emerged along Syria’s coastal region, as unprecedented blazes have swept through the area for more than 10 days.

In Qastal Maaf, the sky turned orange in the haze and ash rained down like snow, carried across Syria’s coast by strong winds. Panicked birds circled the smoke-choked sky, their chirps now desperate cries.

The battle fought by firefighters on Friday was one of many they faced over the week.

Syria’s worst drought in decades and parched soil have whipped devastating blazes, torching more than 15,000 hectares across Latakia − an area bigger than Paris − including agricultural land and crops.

That afternoon, the firefighters lost the fight. Despite the efforts of the Syrian Civil Defence, supported by several fire vehicles deployed from Turkey – one of the neighbouring countries that offered assistance – the fire only grew bigger, ripping through the hillside. “Civilians, leave now,” firefighters ordered.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said the wildfires had “catastrophic consequences on local communities and require our immediate attention”. The UN announced the allocation of $625,000 to support emergency response efforts.

The National embedded on Friday with the Syrian Civil Defence, whose members shared the challenges they face in responding to the catastrophe. These include a lack of equipment, the threat of unexploded war ordnance and rough roads.

“The challenges are clear. The mountain roads are difficult. We’ve had to open paths using chains to reach certain points and access the burning valleys,” Osama Aswad, a responder with the White Helmets, an internationally praised rescue organisation that operated in opposition-held areas, told The National.

Deadly legacy

Firefighters said they had to use bulldozers to carve paths through forest to reach the raging fires.

But the operation is fraught with danger: the land there is full of unexploded ordnance, a deadly legacy across Syria, including Latakia region, which was once among the front lines of Syria’s 13-year civil war.

In 2014, the part of Latakia now affected by the fire was at the centre of intense fighting between rebels, including the Al Nusra Front- a previous name of the main group within Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, whose leader Ahmad Al Shara is now Syria’s President - and former Syrian government forces.

Following the surprise offensive by opposition groups, the battle to recapture the region left the land contaminated with unexploded ordnance.

This danger has hampered civil defence efforts to tackle the blazes, leading to frustration among fire crews.

“Because there are landmines here, we couldn’t go up further,” said civil defence member Turki Sahel, gesturing at burning greenery, the tip of a massive fire that had engulfed the rest of the area.

During operations, rescuers have become accustomed to the sound of landmines detonating from the heat, these occasional booms joining the roar of the fire.

“Honestly, it’s a hard feeling, if the area were clear, we would have gone in,” added Mr Sahel, as the white haze from the flames thickened, shrouding the area completely.

Aerial support has proven essential for accessing contaminated areas. “We alert the operations unit to see if aerial support is possible,” said Mr Aswad. Above the firefighters, Turkish aircraft could be seen circling overhead.

Wildfires in Qastal Maaf, in Latakia province, western Syria. Ahmad Fallaha for The National

'You don't get to rest'

Efforts have been relentless. At makeshift resting point, a few firefighters are sleeping between shifts tackling the wildfire.

Most have not slept for more than two hours at a time in a week. “The rest areas here are just for quick breaks, people rest for two or three hours and then go back to work,” Rawad Tobaji, 30, volunteer with the White Helmets since 2016, told The National.

The space is sparse: a stove for coffee, a few food parcels and a handful of mattresses laid directly on the ground.

“The job is non-stop, we don’t get long rest periods. You never know when a fire might flare up, so you always have to be ready,” he added.

Rescue teams also lack equipment to face the disaster as Syria is still reeling from a steep economic crisis as years of western sanctions, and more than a decade of conflict have left institutions in tatters. Most of them were wearing simple Covid mask against the fumes.

“Generally, the focus of our needs is on logistical support: diesel, firefighting hoses, spare parts, and bulldozers and heavy engineering equipment,” Raed Saleh, Syria’s Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response, told The National on Thursday.

Raed Saleh, Minister of Disaster Management and Emergency Response, has remained on the ground with civil defence teams. Ahmad Fallaha for The National

Mr Saleh was the head of the White Helmets before being appointed to the ministerial role in March. The White Helmets have recently announced that they will join state institutions as the country attempts to reunite, after the fall of former president Bashar Al Assad last December.

Since the fires broke out, Mr Saleh has remained on the ground with civil defence teams.

Other countries have sent reinforcements to assist, including Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan.

The disaster has sparked a wave of solidarity. Some came spontaneously as volunteers, like Othman Taleb, from Lebanese youth-led environmental organisation Akkar Trail.

“Because Syria and Lebanon have always been one hand, one people. Borders don’t divide us, and God willing, nothing ever will,” said Mr Taleb. “Their forests are our forests, and their people are our people.”

Fires were still raging on Saturday in Latakia province while blazes had also erupted in other areas on Friday. Two major wildfires have also broken out in Syria’s central Hama province.