Wildfire reignites in Qaradagh, burns over 150 dunams of land

QARADAGH — A wildfire in the Qaradagh district of Sulaymaniyah governorate reignited Monday night, destroying large areas of forest and farmland for a second time after initially being brought under control, local officials said.

Abdullah Hussein, head of the Qaradagh Forestry Police, told 964media the blaze returned in the Derbandi Jafaran area. “The fire is still active. Our teams, with help from local residents, are working to extinguish it. Around 150 dunams have burned,” he said.

Earlier in the day, another fire broke out near the border of Qaradagh district but was successfully contained. “A fire behind the village of Jafaran was fully controlled and extinguished,” Hussein said, adding that it had burned about 80 dunams of forest and pasture.

He confirmed that the fires were contained through the combined efforts of forestry police, civil defense teams, and local residents.

The cause of the wildfire remains unknown. An investigation is ongoing.