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.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

World Environment Day: Iran outlines plan to protect its rich biodiversity

TEHRAN – Because the most important part of wildlife conservation is habitat preservation, the Department of Environment (DOE) has developed several national programs, 10 of which are underway, and 10 others will soon be finalized to implement, Shahaboddin Montazemi, director of the wildlife's conservation office at the DOE told the Tehran Times.

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.

Iran’s DOE to launch rapid response programs in fire-prone areas

TEHRAN — With the onset of the warm season Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) has ordered initiating rapid response programs in fire-prone areas across the country.

‘Satellite data efficient to contain environmental issues’

TEHRAN – Satellite images and acquisition of various satellite data makes many solutions available to reduce or even prevent environmental issues, while requires a timely utilization, head of Aerospace Research Institute (ARI), affiliated to the Ministry of Science, has said.

DOE, ICT Ministry to prevent, fight wildfires in Golestan National Park

TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) have inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to contain natural disasters such as wildfires using modern technologies in Golestan National Park, northern Iran.

Iran expresses sympathy with Californian people

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi has expressed sympathy with people in California, where wildfires have ravaged and left 59 people killed.

Homegrown airborne firefighting system unveiled

TEHRAN — Iran unveiled on Saturday a domestically produced airborne firefighting system that can be loaded to various aircrafts for extinguishing large-scale fires.

Environmental NGOs to be provided with insurance coverage

TEHRAN — The Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization of Iran will provide wildfire-trained crews who can suppress flames in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with insurance coverage, an official with the Department of Environment (DOE) has said.

Hour al-Azim still on fire, belching acrid smoke into Khuzestan sky

TEHRAN — It’s been over 65 days since Hour al-Azim wetland, a transboundary body of water shared between Iran and Iraq, has erupted in raging fire and now large amounts of acrid smoke is being spread in the cities of Abadan and Khorramshahr in southern parts of Khuzestan province.

Hour al-Azim wetland wildfire threatens bird migration

TEHRAN — Should the wildfire in Hour al-Azim wetland continues throughout autumn it would become a threat to bird migration in the area, head of Khuzestan province’s department of environment has said.

4 killed in western Iran while trying to put out wildfire

TEHRAN — Two rangers and two enviornmtal activists were killed while trying to extinguish the wildfire raging in forests in Marivan, western province of Kordestan, on Saturday.

Over 150 hectares of Bistun protected areas burnt in fire

TEHRAN — Between 150 and 200 hectares of Bistun protected areas, in the western province of Kermanshah, have burnt in wildfire since Tuesday, Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.