United Nations teams deployed to Syria’s northwestern coast on Sunday as raging wildfires, now in their fourth day, have forced hundreds of families to flee and caused widespread destruction in Latakia province, according to U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Adam Abdelmoula.

The fast-spreading blazes have obliterated vast tracts of agricultural land and critical infrastructure, Abdelmoula said in a statement. U.N. teams are urgently assessing the disaster’s scale to address immediate humanitarian needs, as the crisis deepens in the war-torn region.

Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, alongside firefighting teams from Turkey and Jordan, are battling the flames, with helicopters providing critical aerial support. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported efforts to protect the al-Frunloq natural reserve, home to dense, interconnected forests, from the encroaching fires.

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Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh described the situation as “extremely tragic,” noting on X that the fires have scorched an estimated 10,000 hectares (38.6 square miles), destroying “hundreds of thousands of trees” vital for air quality. “We mourn every tree lost,” he said.

Compounding the crisis, the Syrian Civil Defense highlighted the danger of unexploded ordnance from Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war, which poses risks to firefighting efforts. The region’s severe drought, fueled by below-average winter rainfall and climate change, has intensified the fires and left communities grappling with acute water shortages.

The international response underscores the urgency of the situation, as Syria faces one of its largest coordinated firefighting operations amid ongoing environmental and humanitarian challenges.

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