“Many trees and shrubs have caught fire and been destroyed at a time when we are already facing water shortages and a lack of pasture. These fires are often caused by visitors who fail to extinguish their campfires, or by individuals who throw cigarette butts from their cars,” Behzad Abdullah, a local villager, told Rudaw on Monday, expressing concern over a fire that broke out in the area.
A destructive wildfire swept through the mountainous Mawat district on Monday, burning vast stretches of land, including forests, vegetation, and grass. The fire affected areas along the vicinity of five villages, causing widespread environmental damage.
Yousif Mohammed, a member of the forest police, described the worsening situation, emphasizing that extinguishing fires has become increasingly difficult due to a lack of infrastructure.
He told Rudaw that they “don’t have helicopters,” stressing that they “don’t have enough staff as well.”
“If I try to reach the top of the mountain, I’ll be out of breath. There’s no way for us to get there, and the car can’t reach it either,” he lamented.
A dunam is 1,000 square meters.
Volunteers and firefighting teams from Mawat and Chuarta districts responded to a wildfire in the Keli area, but efforts were hindered by strong winds, hazardous terrain, and the presence of landmines and explosives.
The wildfire destroyed centuries-old trees and caused severe environmental damage, with hundreds of mountain bird and animal species perishing in the blaze, according to locals.
Earlier in June, A huge fire engulfed Sulaimani province’s Mount Qaradagh. Dozens of dunams of land containing straw, vegetation, and trees were burned - habitats for dozens of birds and wild animals.
