The Deputy of the Iranian Forests Organization announced that due to a fire on Thursday and Friday in the forests of Noor County in Mazandaran Province, approximately 20 hectares of these forests have been "completely" burned. According to the IRNA news agency, Behzad Angourj stated on Friday, December 6, that a helicopter was dispatched to extinguish the fire, but "due to the rocky and difficult terrain, the helicopter could not facilitate firefighting." Mr. Angourj's statements come as the Fars news agency reported, citing Mostafa Alavi, a member of the Islamic Council of the village of "Fooladkala," that the water-dropping helicopter could not fly due to a "technical failure." According to Mr. Alavi, this helicopter intended to fill its tank from the earthen dam of the village of "Fooladkala" on Friday, but after landing, it could not carry out the water-filling and firefighting operations due to the "technical failure." Initial reports from Fars news agency indicated the severity of the fire was such that residents of the neighboring village were preparing to evacuate their homes. Ultimately, on Friday evening, Fakhroddin Maqsoudi, the commander of the Natural Resources Protection Unit in Noor County, reported that the fire had been "contained." However, Mr. Maqsoudi also mentioned that the possibility of the fire reigniting exists due to "the presence of dry and fallen logs" and wind. Previously, Khodakaram Jalali, the head of the Iranian Forests and Rangelands Organization, had promised that "if funding is secured," 10 helicopters would be purchased for deployment in the northern forests of Iran. In the past two years, some northern Iranian forests, including over 500 hectares of Golestan National Park, have burned. Meanwhile, Hamidreza Imam Panahi, the governor of Rezvanshahr County in Gilan Province, reported that a "massive fire" in the forests of this region, which began on Thursday evening, was extinguished after several hours. According to IRNA, a fire in 2,000 meters of the forests of Rudbar County in southern Gilan Province, which started on Wednesday evening, was extinguished on Thursday. According to the Forests and Rangelands Organization report, only in the first five months of this year, about 7,000 hectares of forest and "wooded pasture" have been lost due to fires, and over 195,000 hectares of forests and pastures in the country have burned in the last 14 years.
20 Hectares of Noor Forests in Mazandaran Burned
A fire in the forests of Noor County, Mazandaran, has burned approximately 20 hectares, with firefighting efforts hampered by technical failures and difficult terrain. The incident highlights ongoing issues with forest fires in Iran, where significant areas have been lost in recent years. This situation raises concerns about environmental management and disaster preparedness in the country.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
A fire in the Noor County forests of Mazandaran Province burned approximately 20 hectares, with firefighting efforts hindered by technical failures and difficult terrain. The fire was eventually contained, but concerns about future outbreaks remain.
- The fire burned 20 hectares of forest.
- Firefighting efforts were complicated by a helicopter's technical failure.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has faced increasing forest fires in recent years, with significant losses to its natural resources. This reflects broader issues of environmental management and climate change impacts.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%