Wildfires erupt across Mediterranean as heatwave worsensWildfires – Al Jazeera
7 Jul 2025
Blazes break out in France, Greece, Turkiye and Syria, with several other nations on high alert amid warnings of scorching weather.
Countries across the Mediterranean are battling fast-spreading wildfires and soaring temperatures as a heatwave sweeps through Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, prompting evacuations and emergency alerts.
Blazes broke out in Greece, Turkiye, France and Syria on Sunday, with several other nations on high alert as forecasters warned that the scorching weather would intensify in the coming days.
From Spain to Italy, authorities urged residents to protect vulnerable people and avoid unnecessary travel during the region’s first severe heatwave of the summer.
Emergency teams and ambulances were stationed near popular tourist destinations, while meteorologists warned that extreme heat events – supercharged by climate change – are becoming more frequent and intense.
In western Turkiye, wildfires erupted on Sunday in Izmir province, fanned by strong winds. Firefighters, supported by aircraft, fought to control the blaze. Local authorities said five neighbourhoods in the Seferihisar district were evacuated as a precaution.
Authorities said firefighters have battled more than 600 fires in the drought-hit nation over the past week.
Turkish authorities arrested 10 suspects in relation to wildfires that broke out across the country over the past week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.
The wildfires killed at least three people in the western coastal province of Izmir.
Firefighters were still trying to control a blaze in the southern coastal area of Dortyol in Hatay province.
Meanwhile, in Greece, more than 160 firefighters, 46 fire trucks and five aircraft were deployed to combat flames in southern Evia.
The blaze, which began late on Friday, burned through forested areas and forced two villages to evacuate, officials said. Fires also broke out near Athens.
France also saw wildfires break out in the Corbieres region of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures soared above 40C (104F). A campsite and a historic abbey were evacuated.
Meteo France placed 84 of the country’s 101 departments under orange-level heat alerts on Monday.
In Spain, the national weather agency AEMET reported temperatures reaching 44C (111F) in parts of Extremadura and Andalusia.
“I feel that the heat we’re experiencing is not normal for this time of year,” said Diego Radames, a 32-year-old photographer in Madrid, speaking to the AFP news agency. “Madrid just keeps getting hotter.”
Italy placed 21 cities on red alert, including important ones, such as Rome, Milan and Naples. Emergency rooms reported a 10 percent rise in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine.
Portugal also faced extreme conditions, with the capital, Lisbon, under a red warning until Monday night. Two-thirds of the country was on high alert for wildfires and extreme heat.
On the island of Sicily, firefighters tackled 15 blazes on Saturday alone.
Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying the heat.
“Heatwaves in the Mediterranean have become more frequent and more intense in recent years,” Emanuela Piervitali of Italy’s Institute for Environmental Protection and Research told AFP. “We’ll need to adapt to even higher extremes in the future.”
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/7/wildfires-erupt-across-mediterranean-as-heatwave-worsens
Syria fights ‘catastrophic’ fires for fourth day – Arab News
July 06, 2025
Short Url. https://arab.news/85m4f
- Syrian emergency workers have faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain in the coastal province and the danger of explosive war remnants
DAMASCUS: Syrian authorities said some 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest had “turned to ash” in wildfires as firefighters from neighboring Jordan arrived Sunday to battle a fourth day of blazes in the province of Latakia.
Syrian emergency workers have faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain in the coastal province and the danger of explosive war remnants, in a country worn down by years of conflict and economic crisis.
An AFP correspondent in Latakia’s Rabiaa region saw emergency workers battling a blaze near homes, while vast swathes of forest and olive groves were burnt and smoke filled the air over a long distance.
Jordanian civil defense teams crossed into Syria on Sunday morning, the Syrian ministry for emergencies and disaster management said, after Turkiye sent assistance a day earlier.
Minister Raed Al-Saleh said on X that “hundreds of thousands of forest trees over an estimated area of around 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) in 28 locations have turned to ash.”
He later decried “a real environmental disaster” at a press conference in the province.
More than 80 teams including civil defense personnel have been helping battle the blaze, he said, noting local organizations and residents were also providing assistance, in addition to teams and firefighting aircraft from neighboring Jordan and Turkiye.
Saleh said it would take days to declare the blazes completely extinguished once the fire was brought under control, calling them “catastrophic.”
Syria’s defense ministry said the air force was assisting, publishing images of a helicopter collecting and dropping water.
Jordan’s public security directorate said in a statement that the “specialized firefighting teams from the civil defense… have been provided with all the modern equipment and machinery necessary to carry out their duties to the fullest extent.”
Swathes of forested area and farmland have burnt and some villages evacuated as the fires raged including near the Turkish border.
The United Nations deputy envoy to Syria Najat Rochdi said in a statement Sunday on X that Damascus “needs more international assistance” to face the fires.
A statement from the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula said that “UN teams are on the ground conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the disaster and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs.”
Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country’s economy, infrastructure and public services.
With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall.
In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization told AFP that Syria had “not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607125/middle-east
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Jordan assists Syria in battling wildfires – Jordan Times
July 6, 2025
AMMAN — In implementation of Royal directives, Jordan joined efforts on Sunday to extinguish wildfires that broke out in several Syrian regions.
In support of the firefighting mission, the Jordan Armed Forces–Arab Army (JAF) deployed two Black Hawk helicopters from the Royal Jordanian Air Force, equipped with advanced firefighting systems and specialized crews, to help control fires that have rapidly spread across forests, plains, and residential areas.
The blazes, intensified by extreme heat and the detonation of war remnants, prompted urgent regional response.
The JAF’s participation underscores Jordan’s humanitarian commitment and its readiness to support neighboring and friendly countries in times of crisis and natural disasters.
The Syrian government extended its appreciation to Jordan for its swift intervention, commending the Kingdom’s consistent humanitarian efforts and solidarity under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah.
With a proven track record in emergency response, the JAF brings significant experience and capabilities in both domestic and international firefighting missions.
In parallel, the Public Security Directorate (PSD) sent specialized Civil Defense teams to the Syrian city of Latakia to assist in controlling fires there. According to a PSD statement, the teams were fully equipped with modern machinery and tools to ensure they could carry out their mission effectively and provide maximum support to the affected areas.
Syrian authorities said some 100 square kilometres of forest had “turned to ash” in wildfires as firefighters from neighbouring Jordan arrived Sunday to battle a fourth day of blazes in the province of Latakia., AFP reported.
Syrian emergency workers have faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain in the coastal province and the danger of explosive war remnants, in a country scarred by years of conflict.
Minister Raed Al Saleh said on X that “hundreds of thousands of forest trees over an estimated area of around 10,000 hectares in 28 locations have turned to ash”.
He said some 80 teams including civil defence personnel had been battling the blaze, noting local organisations and residents were also providing assistance, along with teams and firefighting aircraft from neighbouring Jordan and Turkey.
Turkey, a key backer of Syria’s new authorities, sent assistance including aircraft and fire engines on Saturday.
Swathes of forested area and farmland have burned and some villages evacuated as the fires raged including near the Turkish border.
The United Nations deputy envoy to Syria Najat Rochdi said in a statement Sunday on X that Damascus “needs more international assistance” to face the fires.
A statement from the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula said that “UN teams are on the ground conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the disaster and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs”.
Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country’s economy, infrastructure and public services.
With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall.
In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation told AFP that Syria had “not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years”.
https://jordantimes.com/news/local/jordan-assists-syria-in-battling-wildfires
UN teams deploy to Syrian coast as wildfires force hundreds to flee – Arab News
July 07, 2025
Short Url. https://arab.news/gsdsa
- UN teams are ‘conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the disaster and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs’
- Firefighting teams from Turkiye and Jordan have joined Syrian civil defense teams, providing support from the air with helicopters
LATAKIA, Syria: United Nations teams have deployed Sunday to the Syrian coast, where firefighters are battling wildfires for a fourth day.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula said in a statement that the fast-spreading blazes in the northwestern province of Latakia “have forced hundreds of families to flee their homes, while vast tracts of agricultural land and vital infrastructure have been destroyed.”
UN teams are “conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the disaster and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs,” he said.
Firefighting teams from Turkiye and Jordan have joined Syrian civil defense teams, providing support from the air with helicopters. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported that emergency crews are attempting to prevent the blazes from reaching the Al-Frunloq natural reserve, with its “large, interconnected forests.”
Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh called the situation “extremely tragic.”
In a statement posted on X, he said the fires had destroyed “hundreds of thousands of trees” covering an area estimated at 10,000 hectares (38.6 square miles).
“We regret and mourn every tree that burned, which was a source of fresh air for us,” Al-Saleh said.
The Syrian Civil Defense had expressed concerns over the presence of unexploded ordnance left over from the country’s nearly 14-year civil war in some of the wildfire areas.
Summer fires are common in the eastern Mediterranean region, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
Below-average rainfalls over the winter have also left Syrians struggling with water shortages this summer, as the springs and rivers that normally supply much of the population with drinking water have gone dry.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607168/middle-east