Fire destroys Erbil-Duhok road furniture workshop as owner reports $2m in losses

ERBIL — A furniture and sofa manufacturing workshop on the Erbil-Duhok road caught fire around midnight, leaving the two-story facility completely destroyed, according to its owner.

The building contained woodworking equipment and finished furniture prepared for New Year sales. “We still don’t know what caused the fire. Nothing has been recovered, and the whole building turned to ashes,” owner Ahmad Taha told 964media.

Taha said the blaze destroyed all equipment and inventory, putting losses at about $2 million. He said rebuilding the structure alone would cost more than $300,000, not including machinery and materials needed to resume production. No casualties were reported.

Erbil recorded more than 1,000 fires during the first seven months of 2025, most caused by electrical malfunctions, according to the city’s civil defense directorate.