![Smoke and flame rises from the area as firefighters continue to extinguish fires broke out in the forest area on July 04, 2025 in Latakia, Syria. [Şevket Akça - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/AA-20250704-38473543-38473539-FOREST_FIRE_BREAKS_OUT_IN_SYRIAS_LATAKIA.jpg)
Wildfires continue to expand in northwestern Syria after burning 10,000 hectares of forest, officials said on Sunday, Anadolu reports. New fire hotspots broke out in Qastal Maaf town in the countryside of Latakia, the state news agency SANA said, citing Civil Defense Director Abdul Kafi Kayyal. Kayyal said that operations are ongoing to extinguish the flames. “Hundreds of thousands of forest trees across an area estimated at about 10,000 hectares in 28 locations have turned to ashes due to these fires,” Minister of Emergency and Disaster Raed Saleh said in a statement on his X account. Saleh said that over 100 teams, including those from Türkiye and Jordan, are currently operating on the field with 160 firefighting vehicles and 12 […]