Fire destroys orchards in Qaladze

QALADZE — A large fire broke out Sunday near the market bridge in Qaladze, destroying over 1.5 acres of residential orchards, according to Raparin Civil Defense officials.

The blaze started around noon and was extinguished after more than an hour, with five fire trucks dispatched to the area.

Ali Qadir, spokesperson for Raparin Civil Defense, told 964media that the fire spread quickly among privately maintained orchards. “Residents had converted parts of their property into orchards, but since the location is surrounded by homes, if our teams were slightly delayed in reaching it, some houses would be affected,” he said.

Qadir confirmed that no injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains unknown. He added that preliminary assessments indicate over six dunams of orchard space were damaged.