The Armenian-Inhabited Kesab is Completely Covered in Smoke: Residents Evacuated

Five of the twelve Armenian-inhabited villages in Syria's Kesab have suffered significant damage from forest fires, with approximately thirty residents evacuated. This was stated by Father Isaias Vardapet Eorteghyan, the spiritual overseer of Kesab, in an interview with NEWS.am.

"The gardens and orchards surrounding the houses have been completely burned, and the walls of the homes have turned black from the smoke. We mainly evacuated people to the homes of their relatives and friends; many who have a second home have moved there. They cannot breathe because of the smoke," noted Father Isaias.

According to him, the fire broke out the day before at noon, but firefighters arrived in the evening. Fifty firefighting units are working to extinguish the blaze, and local Armenians are also involved in the efforts.

"At this moment, Kesab is completely engulfed in smoke; we are inhaling smoke, and fine particles of burnt wood ash are scattered in the air, falling like snow. The firefighters are unfamiliar with the area, and the local Armenian community is assisting them in extinguishing the fire. The villages are located in mountainous regions with dense forests, making it challenging to carry out operations due to the lack of roads," added Father Isaias.

It should be noted that there are no reports of injuries among the affected members of the Armenian community in Kesab due to the fires.