ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Villagers in southern Erbil were forced to evacuate their homes on Friday because of raging fires and strong winds. Nearly 1,000 dunams of land were burned and several injuries were reported.
The blazes were massive and challenging to contain, especially given the extensive wheat crops in the area, Hiwa Ali, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, said on Friday night. He warned that the fires could result in substantial agricultural losses.
The affected areas were Shamamik and Qushtapa subdistricts, and Ali said the residents of Shamamik were forced to evacuate due to intense smoke and heat.
The Qushtapa fire was started by an electricity panel blowing up, according to multiple witnesses. The cause of the Shamamik blaze is still unknown.
“The fire in the Shamamik area is very large and has engulfed the crops of villages in the Shamamik subdistrict,” Ali said. “The people evacuated out of fear of the fire spreading.”
Several children were injured. One father, Hikmat Ahme, recounted his frantic search for his children in the windstorm.
He said around seven children from his family went to a bouncy castle close to a house they were visiting approximately 20 minutes before the winds gathered force. Ahme said the winds were so strong that water tanks were blown off rooftops and electricity poles were falling. Once he was able to reach the bouncy castle, he saw it had been destroyed.
“I could not find my children, I saw the bouncing place that had ended up on a pole and when I saw that, I thought the children are dead. We looked in three different neighborhoods. Then a man came and asked, ‘have you lost your children?’ I responded ‘yes.’ He said ‘we have taken two children to the doctor here, come quickly.’ I went and saw. Thank God my son Hatam was fine. When the winds blew however, they had thrown my daughter off and her brother had fallen with her,” said Ahme.
Fires are a perennial concern in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. They are especially frequent in the summertime when the scorching heat heightens the risk.
Updated at 05:21 pm
