On Sunday, the Syrian Civil Defense announced that over 80 field teams are engaged in extinguishing wildfires across vast areas of Syria, with the support of rescue and firefighting squads from neighboring countries—including Iraq, Turkey, Jordan, and Qatar.

 Volunteer Hamid Qateeni of the Syrian Civil Defense said:

- “Efforts continue around the clock to prevent the spread of flames, especially in densely forested regions like Mount Zahi and Mount Al-Nisr.”

- Teams are also conducting intensive cooling operations in areas where the fires have been controlled to prevent re-ignition, with small pockets of fire still active in valleys and rough terrain.

Some affected areas include former military sites of the Syrian regime, making them difficult for firefighting teams to access.

 Qateeni emphasized that regional support played a vital role in speeding up the response, despite challenging weather conditions and rough landscapes.

? Ground firefighting units from Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq are involved, while 16 aircraft from Syria, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are conducting aerial firefighting operations in a coordinated emergency effort.

 Iraq's Civil Defense announced last Thursday the dispatch of 20 firefighting teams to assist in extinguishing the Latakia fires.

 On Tuesday, Syria officially requested help from the European Union to combat the wildfires raging in Latakia’s countryside since July 3.

 Climate and environment researcher Anas Al-Rahmoun told Shafaq News:

- The damage caused by these fires falls into three categories: immediate, medium-term, and long-term.

- Some endangered plant species may have been wiped out, although full assessment will only be possible after the fires are extinguished.

 He added that the fires release a mix of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides—polluting the air and negatively affecting nearby cities like Aleppo, Hama, and Idlib and their outskirts, depending on wind direction.

Polluted air from the fires poses a direct health risk, particularly to those with respiratory conditions and asthma.

 Medium-term effects include more frequent and intense heatwaves, with temperature increases as small as 0.5°C impacting humidity levels and accelerating local climate change.

 Al-Rahmoun concluded, “The fires amplify the effects of climate change in Syria, which is already experiencing this phenomenon globally, but local factors are intensifying the disruption.”