Syrian civil defense said Monday that firefighting teams are battling large forest fires that broke out in the countryside of Latakia, in the country’s northwest.

In a statement on Telegram, the agency reported that blazes erupted between the villages of Rayhaniya and Sukkariya in the Rabiaa area, while another major fire spread in the Tartiyah region near the town of Salma.

It noted that operations have been ongoing since early Monday under “difficult conditions,” including rugged terrain, lack of access roads, unstable weather, and explosions from remnants of war in the affected areas.