Million of dollars in damages
191 fires in Erbil since turn of year, says civil defense
ERBIL — The Erbil Civil Defense has reported a significant number of fires in the city within the first three months of the year, with damages running into tens of millions of dollars.
Karwan Mirawdali, a spokesperson for Erbil’s Civil Defense, told 964media that, as of March 13, 2024, there have been 191 fires in Erbil since the start of the year.
The financial impact of these incidents on civilians and businesses is estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
One of the notable incidents occurred this morning when a fire broke out in a shop within the Farmanbaran market in Erbil, causing approximately $40,000 in damages, according to the shop owner.
The shop, which sells women’s textiles and clothing, caught fire due to what is believed to be an electrical short circuit, though an official cause has not yet been announced.
The shop owner said they were alerted to the fire around 8 a.m., and that adjacent shops suffered minor damages.
Among the most devastating incidents was a fire at the Langa Market on Feb. 27, 2024, which destroyed over 160 shops.
Another fire on March 3 involved a residential building and was caused by a wood stove, though no casualties were reported.
On March 9, a significant fire at a construction materials warehouse in Erbil’s industrial area resulted in damages exceeding $10 million.
Police investigations into the warehouse fire have concluded that it was arson, related to disputes between the owners and others.
A fire at the Council of Ministers building on the morning of Feb. 17, was caused by a gas bottle in the council’s cafeteria.