Syrian state television, Al-Ikhbariya, reported on Thursday that a massive forest fire had broken out near the town of Nabaa al-Tayyeb in the al-Ghab Plain, located in the western countryside of Hama province. Firefighting teams were placed on full alert, launching containment operations with the assistance of local residents.

Hama’s local authorities confirmed that efforts are focused on preventing the flames from spreading to nearby residential areas, especially amid severe weather conditions marked by high temperatures and strong winds.

The blaze comes amid an ongoing wave of wildfires ravaging Syria’s coastal regions for more than eight consecutive days, in what has been described as one of the worst wildfire episodes in years.

The Syrian Civil Defense characterized the situation as “catastrophic,” noting that the fires have destroyed approximately 14,000 hectares of forests and green areas in the Latakia countryside, forcing hundreds of families to flee their homes.