Fire in Sulaymaniyah’s Mawat district burns hundreds of acres

SULAYMANIYAH — A significant fire in the Mawat district of Sulaymaniyah province has devastated hundreds of acres of forests, pastures, trees, and orchards. Despite the challenges, the fire was eventually contained after initially being difficult to control.

The Directorate of Forest and Environment Police of Sulaymaniyah reported on Wednesday that the fire in the village of Qamish, previously controlled a few days ago, had reignited. “After the fire in the village of Qamish was brought under control a few days ago in the Mawat district, it reignited for the second time,” the directorate announced.

Efforts to control the fire faced significant hurdles. “Our teams arrived at the scene, but due to the presence of mines and explosives in the area, controlling the fire was difficult. However, with the help of local residents, they eventually managed to control and extinguish the fire,” the statement from the directorate added.

The damage included approximately 395 acres of natural forests and pastures, and about 25 acres of orchards and gardens belonging to local citizens.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Sulaymaniyah Forest Police and Environment Protection, with no definitive cause yet determined.

The initial outbreak of the fire was reported on Aug. 10, with authorities declaring it under control the following evening.

Adding to the region’s strife, Turkish drones bombarded three villages in the Mawat district on August 8, purportedly targeting alleged PKK positions, but also causing considerable damage to civilian properties and sparking a large blaze. Kamaran Osman, the coordinator for the Kurdistan team of the American CPT organization, detailed the impact: “One of the airstrikes targeted the Girdarash area near the village of Safra, while the other two occurred in the Galwataro valley and near the village of Galala.”

Osman further reported on the specific damages from the bombardment: “As a result of the bombing, the windows and doors of Khala Braim’s house in Safra village were shattered, and 25 dunams  of forests, pastures, and trees were burned,” highlighting the extensive collateral damage from military actions in the area.