Alan Yousif, 25, pictured in an undated photo. He died on Sept. 24, 2025, from injuries sustained while volunteering to fight a wildfire in Penjwen district.
Alan Yousif
Volunteer dies from wildfire injuries in Penjwen after 20 days in critical condition
SULAYMANIYAH — A young man who was badly injured while battling a large wildfire in Penjwen district last month has died after more than three weeks in critical condition.
Environmental group Mlakawa said Alan Yousif, 25, succumbed to his injuries Wednesday at a hospital in Sulaymaniyah. He was severely burned while trying to extinguish the Aug. 30 blaze.
Sulaymaniyah Gov. Haval Abubakr confirmed Yousif’s death in a separate statement, identifying him as an environmental volunteer from the village of Kwawai.
The wildfire, which broke out in the Halalawa and Maso areas of Penjwen, destroyed wide swaths of forest and vegetation. Two volunteers from the Kwawai village firefighting team were injured in the effort to contain it.