After quake, Syria's northern coast ravaged by wildfires

A firefighter attempts to extinguish a wildfire, in the northern countryside of Latakia, Syria July 29, 2023. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi

MASHQUITA, Syria (Reuters) - At 72, Syrian farmer Izzadin Zuhaira has survived war, displacement and a devastating earthquake in February. But the forest fires razing his home province of Latakia this week, turning his beloved orchards to ash, were the worst he had seen.

"I've never seen any weather like this. The soil and the trees were so impacted by the heat that they lit up quickly," Zuhaira said.