Fire at hotel garden room in Erbil contained by staff

ERBIL — A split air conditioning unit caught fire in a hotel’s garden room in Erbil, leading to a blaze that destroyed the room entirely. The incident occurred in Chwarchra on Thursday morning and was caused by an electrical short circuit.

Hotel staff acted swiftly, using fire extinguishers to control the flames until the city’s Civil Defense firefighters arrived at the scene. Fire crews confirmed the fire was fully extinguished and ensured it did not spread further.

The affected room was part of the hotel’s garden facilities, typically used for serving cold drinks and refreshments during the summer. The room is now primarily utilized for storage of cleaning supplies and additional items.

Damage was limited to the room and its contents, with no injuries reported.

Earlier this week, a fire broke out at a café in Erbil, causing material damage but no casualties. This followed another fire on January 2, where a fire engulfed several car repair shops on 100 Meter Road, entirely destroying one of the shops.

In December, the Western Emergency Hospital in Erbil issued a warning about a rise in electricity-related fatalities, calling on citizens to take extra precautions to avoid further incidents. The hospital reported that over the past seven days prior to the warning, five citizens lost their lives due to incidents involving electricity.

From January to October 2024, the Erbil Civil Defense recorded 2,057 fire incidents. The leading cause was dried grass and shrubs, accounting for 842 cases. The fires resulted in 46 fatalities, including 22 from burns and 24 from suffocation, while 89 people sustained injuries. Civil Defense teams managed to rescue 56 individuals and 11 vehicles during these emergencies.