Tartous-Sana
The members of the Fire Brigade and the Forestry Department, in cooperation with government and private agencies, in Tartous Governorate extinguished more than 60 fires during yesterday and today, which broke out in separate areas and villages of the governorate.
Colonel Samir Shamma, commander of the governorate's fire brigade, said in a statement to SANA's correspondent that the number of fires that broke out yesterday reached 35, the largest of which was the fires that broke out in forest areas in both the villages of Mashta Al-Helou and they were imprisoned in the countryside of Al-Draikish and the fire of Al-Raqmah in the area of Sheikh Badr and Al-Talii fire east of the village Al-Safsafa, in addition to the fire in the village of Al-Sabuhah, pointing out that the rest of the fires broke out in grassy areas and areas planted with fruit trees and olive trees in the villages of Deir Habash, Basmaqa, Hafah, and Asheqah, and near the Kashfa village junction.
Shamma emphasized that these fires were completely extinguished despite the intensity of the eastern winds and were completely controlled, except for the Mashta al-Helou fire, which firefighting teams are still dealing with with various means available to extinguish it, indicating that one of the most important reasons for the delay in extinguishing it is due to the severe ruggedness in the geography of the region so that no Agricultural roads can be constructed to reach it.
With regard to the fires that broke out today, Shamma explained that their total has reached 28 so far in different areas of the governorate, pointing out that the largest of these fires was the fire that broke out this morning near the mouth of the oil and the radio station in front of the cement plant in addition to the fires in the villages of Dweir Taha, Zamrin and Daher Safra, Beit Janad, and the fire of the garbage dump in the relatively large Al Rawda village, which extended from the garbage dump to the nearby wooded lands, but the presence of the fire brigade personnel near the aforementioned site contributed to its rapid suppression and limited its spread and reach to the neighboring areas.
Shamma pointed out that all the fires that broke out today have been completely extinguished, with the exception of the Al-Anaza and Al-Darara fires in Banias, where work is still continuing to extinguish them as soon as possible, pointing out that the difficulty of reaching these areas was the reason for the delay in putting them out, in addition to the Mashta al-Helou fire, which is still being dealt with since yesterday.
Shamma pointed out that the authorities concerned with the governorate as a whole have made great efforts and dealt with these fires quickly and within the available human and material capabilities in order to preserve the lives and safety of citizens and protect public and private property, especially the members of the fire brigade, the forest department, the water corporation, civil defense, technical services, civil society and others.
Shamma praised the efforts of the firefighting regiment, who have proven great worth despite all the weather conditions, capabilities, and the difficulty of reaching the areas where the fires occurred in order to protect the citizens and preserve the agricultural and forestry wealth in the governorate.
Adel Issa