50% Increase in Forest Fires in Iran This Year

The commander of the Forest Protection Unit of Iran announced that the "level of forest fires" in Iran has increased by about 50% in the first two months of 1394 (2015) compared to 1393 (2014). Meanwhile, the deputy commander of the Natural Resources Protection Unit of Kerman province reported on Thursday, June 18, that forest fires in this province have increased sixfold, stating that since the beginning of this year, 35 hectares of forest, 120 hectares of "wooded pasture," and 334 hectares of pasture have burned. Qasem Sabzeali, commander of the Forest Protection Organization of Iran, mentioned on Wednesday that the number of fires during this period has decreased by 20%. According to the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, Mr. Sabzeali also stated that these statistics will undergo "fundamental changes" when considering the forest fires in Ilam province this June. He expressed concern about the increase in forest fires during the hot season, adding: "Considering that 30% of our forests are afflicted by pests and diseases, these issues lead to tree dryness and further susceptibility of forests to fires." Reports indicate that in the past two weeks, over 100 hectares of forests in Ilam province, 70 hectares in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, and 20 hectares in Mazandaran province have burned. According to the state news agency IRNA, Abolqasem Hatami, deputy commander of the Natural Resources Protection Unit of Kerman province, also reported that forest fires in the forests and pastures of this province have increased sixfold compared to the same period last year. Mr. Hatami stated that during this time, 21 fires have caused over 4.2 billion tomans in damages to natural resources in Kerman province. He also reported that in recent days, 67 hectares of pasture land in the Bayaz region of Baft county and over 10 hectares of pasture and forest in Sirjan and Bardasir counties have burned. Mr. Hatami estimated the damages to vegetation cover in Kerman province from recent fires at 110 million tomans. The deputy commander attributed the main causes of these fires to "tourists and hot weather" and mentioned that "several individuals responsible for the forest and pasture fires in this province have been handed over to judicial authorities." He noted that Kerman province has 970,000 hectares of forest, accounting for nearly 11% of Iran's forests. The reports of increasing forest fires in Iran come as Hooman Ravanbakhsh, a forestry expert, stated that it would take "at least 100 years" for the forests of Ilam to return to their previous state. According to ILNA, Mr. Ravanbakhsh said that for the forests of Aras in Golestan, this period is "at least 400 to 500 years." In previous years, the northern provinces of Iran have also experienced numerous forest fires, and reports indicate that over 500 hectares of Golestan National Park have burned in the past two years. Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of Iran's Department of Environment, announced last week the establishment of a national headquarters to combat forest fires, stating that the coordination of this headquarters will be under the National Crisis Management Headquarters.