‘We belong to this land’: Syrians navigate landmines to battle wildfires

FIrefighters battle the blazes in the forests of Syria’s al-Frunloq natural reserve, in Latakia [Courtesy Syrian Civil Defense]
Published July 12, 2025

Syria’s wildfires are the first major natural disaster since the country overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime in December.

🔥 Tragedy Amid Fire

  • Devastating wildfires have raged through Syria’s Mediterranean coast—especially in Latakia’s highlands—burning over 14,000 hectares since early July 2.

  • The landscape has been reduced to a stark moonscape—black mud, choking ash, and skeletal trees—making terrain treacherous for firefighting crews .

  • Elderly locals like 80‑year‑old Abu Jameel Muhammed watched their olive trees—symbols of heritage—go up in flames, pushing thousands to evacuate.


⚠️ Hidden Dangers from War

  • Firefighters face a unique dual threat: not just fire, but also landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) scattered from over a decade of conflict.

  • The UN estimates around 300,000 landmines remain across Syria, with 11.5 million people living in zones affected by explosive remnants of war .

  • Between December and June alone, 369 people were killed in ordnance-related accidents, a threat exacerbated by the fires themselves.


🧑‍🚒 Courage and Cooperation

  • Civil Defense volunteers—like Muhammed Baradei and Wesam Zeidan—have traveled from across Syria (e.g., Idlib, Hama) crossing former conflict lines, to battle the flames with unity and resolve 

  • This marks Syria’s first major unified disaster response since the downfall of the Assad regime in late 2024.

  • Firefighting efforts have received international assistance, including helicopters and equipment from Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon.


📉 A Mounting Crisis

  • Heatwaves up to 35 °C, strong winds, rugged terrain, and a lack of firebreaks have fueled a relentless cycle of containment and re‑ignition.

  • Syria is no stranger to wildfires—the 2020 blazes were the worst on record. This year, drought and climate change have made conditions even more severe.

  • Relying heavily on volunteers and thinly-stretched resources—amid lingering post‑war sanctions—Syria’s firefighting infrastructure is being pushed to its limits .

Key Takeaways

Theme Insight
Fire extent 14,000+ hectares burned across Latakia since July 2
War remnant risk 300,000+ landmines, explosive debris could be triggered by heat
Casualties 369 due to ordnance accidents in recent months
Human toll Elderly like Abu Jameel mourn lost lifelines—olive trees, homes, memories
Response unity Volunteers from Idlib, Hama to Latakia—crossing old wartime boundaries
Challenges Extreme heat, strong wind, rugged terrain, lack of firebreaks
Intl support Helicopters from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon aiding containment

 


⚠️ Resulting Effects:

The wildfires tearing through Syria’s coastal regions have left behind more than just charred forests—they’ve deepened an already critical humanitarian and environmental crisis:

  • Environmental Devastation: Over 14,000 hectares of forests and farmland have been destroyed, wiping out biodiversity, natural carbon sinks, and agricultural livelihoods. Centuries-old olive trees—deeply rooted in Syrian heritage—have been reduced to ash.

  • Loss of Livelihoods: Thousands of families, particularly in rural areas, have lost crops, livestock, and income sources. For elderly landowners like Abu Jameel, the fires didn’t just destroy property—they erased entire legacies.

  • Escalating Casualties: Fires have triggered dormant landmines, resulting in explosions that injured or killed both civilians and volunteer firefighters. From December to June alone, 369 Syrians died due to war-related ordnance—an already staggering toll now heightened by wildfire activity.

  • Public Health Crisis: Smoke inhalation, stress, and displacement have overwhelmed local clinics. Residents breathing toxic air are also exposed to potential chemical hazards from exploded munitions.

  • Infrastructure Strain: With firefighting units underfunded and poorly equipped, the blazes have exposed the fragility of Syria’s emergency response capabilities, made worse by years of conflict and sanctions.

  • Psychological Trauma: The fires reopened war wounds—forcing Syrians to flee yet again, navigate mined paths, and mourn lost homes and forests. For many, the emotional toll is a painful reminder that peace remains fragile.

  • National Unity Sparked: Despite devastation, the crisis has fostered rare solidarity—volunteers from once-divided regions are working side by side, crossing political and sectarian lines to defend the land they all call home.


🧩 Bottom Line:

The wildfires raging across Syria’s Latakia region are more than a natural disaster—they are a brutal collision of climate, conflict, and resilience. As flames scorch the earth, they also expose the lingering scars of war: buried explosives, fractured infrastructure, and the vulnerability of a people long caught between survival and rebuilding. Yet in the face of danger, Syrians are not retreating. Volunteers from former opposition strongholds to government-held zones are uniting to fight the fires, side by side. Their actions reflect more than desperation—they reflect a profound connection to the land and to each other. Amid smoke and ash, they carry a message far more enduring than fire: We belong to this land—and we will not abandon it.


SOURCES: AL JAZEERA – ‘We belong to this land’: Syrians navigate landmines to battle wildfires
INKL – ‘We belong to this land’: Syrians navigate landmines to battle wildfires
THE NEW ARAB – Years of dictatorship may be over, but the deadly threat of explosive devices is holding back post-Assad Syria’s recovery

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