Wildfire burns 100,000 ha of forests, rangelands in 5 years

TEHRAN – Over 100,000 hectares of forests and rangelands have been burned by wildfire during the past five years, Mohammad Hassan Nami, head of the Disaster Management Organization, has said.

Increased precipitation raises wildfire risk

TEHRAN – Given that heavy snow and rainfall saturated the country over the past few months, plant and vegetation cover has been expanded which seems to be vulnerable to temperature rise, so wildfire risk increases during this summer (starting on May 22).

Budget to prevent wildfires up by 10-fold

TEHRAN – A total of 1 trillion rials (around $3.6 million) has been allocated to preventing and extinguishing wildfires in the budget bill for the next Iranian calendar year (starting March 21), a 10-fold rise compared to the current year.

Wildfire in natural areas decreases by 49%

TEHRAN – The occurrence of wildfire in natural areas has declined by 49 percent since the beginning of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 21) compared to the same period last year, deputy commander of the protection unit of the Forests, Rangelands, and Watershed Management Organization, has said.

Wildfire in Golestan National Park extinguished

TEHRAN – A wildfire that had erupted on Friday in Golestan National Park was contained with the help of locals and environmentalists, IRIB reported on Sunday.

Week of wildfires wreaks havoc in Greece, force mass evacuations

The devastating scale of destruction from a week of wildfires in Greece and Southern Europe, including Italy, is still being assessed.

Wildfire prevention regulations to be prepared

TEHRAN – Due to the hot season and the increasing risk of wildfires, fire prevention procedures will be prepared and announced to all the provinces soon, Jamshid Mohabbat Khani, commander of the protection unit of the Department of Environment (DOE), has said.

Firefighting centers to be established in 6 provinces

TEHRAN – Firefighting centers will be established over the next Iranian calendar year (starting on March 21, 2021) in six provinces of East Azarbaijan, Khuzestan, Mazandaran, Golestan, North Khorasan, and Khorasan Razavi, an official with the Department of Environment (DOE) has stated.

Wildfire burns 7,000ha of protected areas since mid-March

TEHRAN – Wildfire has burnt 7,017 hectares of areas under the management of the Department of Environment (DOE) since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21).

Anthropogenic wildfire extinguished in Hamoun wetland

TEHRAN – A man-made wildfire burning 10 hectares of Hamoun International Wetland in the southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province was extinguished after several hours of efforts, the head of the provincial department of environment (DOE) said on Monday.

Wildfire burns 340ha of Miankaleh wildlife sanctuary

TEHRAN – Raging wildfire burnt about 340 hectares of the Miankaleh wildlife sanctuary in northern Mazandaran province on Sunday, commander of the protection unit at the provincial department of environment has stated.

Wildfire sweeping through oak forest in southwest

A wildfire that erupted on Monday has burned so far some 100 hectares area of oak tree plantations in the southwestern Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province.

Iran, Australia share experience on fight against coronavirus, wildfires

TEHRAN – Karim Hemmati, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), and Lyndall Sachs, the Australian Ambassador to Iran, discussed ways to expand cooperation through exchanging experience on battling COVID-19 and wildfires.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Department of Environment’s protection unit has made notable achievements: commander

TEHRAN – Jamshid Mohabbat Khani, commander of the protection unit of the Department of Environment (DOE), elaborated on achievements of the protection unit and the environmental defenders in a press conference held on Tuesday.

Wildfire arsonists to face at least 10 years of imprisonment

TEHRAN – People who deliberately set fire to forests and pastures are sentenced to at least 10 years in prison, Reza Aflatooni, the deputy director of the Forests, Rangelands and Watershed Management Organization for legal affairs, has announced.

Govt. earmarks $3.5m to extinguish wildfire in southwest

TEHRAN – The Planning and Budget Organization approved 150 billion rials (nearly $3.5 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) for the provision of equipment and flight services to extinguish a wildfire in southwestern provinces.

Wildfire extinguished in northern forests

TEHRAN – Wildfire, erupted in northern forests of Gilan province over the past 2 days, has been fully extinguished, commander of the protection unit of natural resources and watershed management organization of Gilan has stated.

Anthropogenic fire extinguished in Anzali wetland

TEHRAN – A fire that had been reportedly started by humans in northern Anzali wetland on Friday was successfully put out, ISNA news agency reported. Covering more than 19,000 hectares, Anzali wetland is located near the northern port city of Bandar Anzali, neighboring the Caspian Sea.

Extinguished fire reignites burning Arasbaran forest

TEHRAN – While efforts have been made to put out the wildfire erupted in northwestern Arasbaran forest, it reignited and burnt the forest, head of East Azarbaijan’s disaster management organization has announced.

Wildfire haunting Arasbaran forest extinguished

TEHRAN – Wildfire burning Arasbaran forest, northwestern Iran, since Monday, has been finally extinguished, head of East Azarbaijan’s department of environment (DOE) has announced.

Over 11,000 ha of forests, rangelands burnt in summer

TEHRAN – Raging wildfire burnt 11,254 hectares of forests and rangelands across the country, since the beginning of summer, the commander of the forest protection unit of Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization, has said.

‘Wildfire losses increase 90-fold in Tehran’

TEHRAN – Wildfire incurred losses to the capital’s protected areas during the first three months of this year (started on March 21), which was 90 times more than the same period last year, commander of Tehran province environment protection unit has said.

‘Humans responsible for over 95% of wildfires’

TEHRAN – Over 95 percent of wildfires in the country are due to human-caused ignition from unattended campfires, debris, and negligently discarded cigarettes, the commander of the forest protection unit of Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization, has said.

Wildfire burns 400 ha of protected areas within 3 months

TEHRAN – Some 400 hectares of the protected areas turned into ashes due to raging wildfire, since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), head of the Department of Environment’s (DOE) protection unit has stated.

Wildfire risk increases in Zagros foothills

TEHRAN – Following heavy rainfall doused the country during the past months, vegetation has covered vast areas of Zagros forest in southwestern part of the country, which easily ignites when temperature level gets higher and wildfire risk increases.

Tehran sets record high for wildfires within 2 months

TEHRAN – The highest number of wildfires occurred in the capital during the past two months, as some 15 wildfires were reported in southern part of the city, Jamshid Mohabbat Khani, head of the Department of Environment’s protection unit has stated.

Wildfire contained in protected area in southwestern Iran

TEHRAN — Raging wildfire erupted in Khaeez protected area in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, southwestern Iran, was controlled, ISNA news agency reported on Friday.

‘Vast vegetation cover increases wildfire risk during summer’

TEHRAN – Given that heavy rainfall saturated the country over the past few months, plant and vegetation cover has been expanded which seems to be vulnerable to temperature rise, so wildfire risk increases during this summer (starting on May 22), said Tehran’s department of environment deputy director for technical affairs.