‘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.

Iran stops fire operation in Hour al-Azim amid Iraq’s no move

TEHRAN — While Hour al-Azim, a transboundary body of water shared between Iran and Iraq, has been burning in fire originated mainly in the Iraqi part of the wetland since July 2, the Iraqi government seems to be reluctant to make any moves to put out the fire.

330 ha of Miankaleh peninsula turns into ashes

TEHRAN —The wildfire which started on Friday night in Miankaleh peninsula, northern province of Mazandaran, has so far burnt around 330 hectares, the province’s chief of the department of environment has said.

Wildfire contained in Miankaleh peninsula

TEHRAN — Wildfire which erupted on Friday night in Miankaleh peninsula, northern province of Mazandaran, was contained on Saturday morning, the province’s chief of department of environment said.

Wildfire incurs loss of $13,000 per ha to forests nationwide

TEHRAN – Forest wildfire brings heavy economic burden amounting to 560 million rials (about $13,000) per hectare for the country, the commander of the forest protection unit of the Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization has said.

Raging fire burns 23,000 ha of Hour al-Azim wetland

TEHRAN — The raging wildfire which started in early July at Hour al-Azim wetland, southwestern Iran, has so far burnt around 23,000 hectares of the wetland, Ahmadreza Lahijanzadeh, chief of Khuzestan province’s department of environment has said.

Long lasting flames hitting Hour al-Azim extinguished

TEHRAN – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force (IRGC AF) has managed to extinguish wildfire haunting Hour al-Azim wetland for about three weeks, said the commander of IRGC AF.

Add insult to injury: Hour al-Azim wildfire is still haunting Khuzestan

TEHRAN — While the southwestern province of Khuzestan is a victim of recurrent sand and dust storms, smoke rising from a wildfire in Hour al-Azim wetland, which has lasted for almost two weeks now, is adding insult to injury.

20% drop in wildfires during spring yr/yr

TEHRAN — The number of wildfires across Iran has decreased by 20 percent during the spring this year compared to the same period last year, the commander of the forest protection unit of the Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization has said.

Fire in forests in northeastern Iran extinguished

TEHRAN – A fire which swept through some three hectares of forests in northeastern Iran has been put out successfully, an official at the Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization has said.

Wildfire rages northern Iran forests

TEHRAN-- Wildfire, starting on Saturday, swept through forests in northern province of Gilan, Isna reported.

Miqan wetland fire extinguished after 16 hours

TEHRAN — Miqan wetland fire was successfully extinguished after 16 hours.

‘Cloud forest’ catches fire

TEHRAN — Jangal-e Abr (cloud forest) located in the northeastern city of Shahroud, Semnan province, caught fire on Tuesday morning.

95% of wildfires in Iran are human-caused: official

TEHRAN — Some 95 percent of wildfires which occur in Iran are rooted in human factors, an official with Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization said.

By Yvonne Ridley

Israeli wildfires expose Netanyahu’s burning hatred

As wildfires tore through large swathes of the land a week or so ago, some Israeli politicians used the disaster as an opportunity to fan the flames of hatred against Palestinians by calling it a “fire intifada”. Foreign firefighters from many countries came to Israel’s assistance, but it seems that those politicians had different