Unprecedented Fire Devastates Marivan Forests; IRGC Under Suspicion

Chia Green Association, a non-governmental organization active in environmental issues, announced on Tuesday that over two thousand hectares of forests around Marivan County have been engulfed in flames. This unprecedented fire, which began on Thursday, August 3, from the oak forests surrounding the villages of Daravaran and Asnehveh and the Sarshiv region, has spread to other areas and remains uncontrolled despite the round-the-clock efforts of environmental activists. The heat and strong winds have further complicated firefighting efforts. However, trees are not the only victims of this 'environmental disaster'; many snakes, turtles, and Zagros squirrels have burned alive in the flames. A grassroots campaign to extinguish the fire has seen various groups and professions from Marivan, including students, teachers, clergy, engineers, athletes, porters, business owners, and both men and women disillusioned by the 'inaction' of the Islamic Republic regarding this unprecedented fire, roll up their sleeves and battle the flames using basic tools such as shovels, pickaxes, and blowers. Notably, the extensive presence of women has played a 'significant role' in extinguishing the fire, providing aid, and preparing and delivering food for those on the front lines of firefighting. An activist from the Chia Green Association stated that 'from the very first hours of the fire, many people responded to the call of this environmental organization to combat the fire.' According to him, the people of Marivan could not contain the fire alone, and volunteers from the cities of Baneh, Qorveh, Sanandaj, Saqez, Kamyaran, Kermanshah, Ilam, Urmia, and Shiraz have rushed to assist them. This environmental activist adds that currently, nearly 500 volunteers are ready to extinguish potential further fires. A Marivani environmental activist, using the pseudonym 'Bavar Marivan,' who has participated in the firefighting campaign, said in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America on Tuesday: 'The general belief of the local people is that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is responsible for this fire.' He noted that after criticism intensified a few days into the fire, several IRGC helicopters were dispatched to assist local volunteers, but they only dropped water in areas where there was either no fire or where the fire had already been contained. 'Bavar Marivan' further pointed to the 'inaction' and inefficiency of the Islamic Republic not only in Marivan but also regarding the environment across the country, including Lake Urmia and Sistan and Baluchestan. It is worth mentioning that simultaneously with the fires, security forces of the Islamic Republic have arrested at least five environmental activists named Azad Rouhi, Laiq Ahmadi, Sarkot Abadi, Dalir Mohammadi, and Alan Ardishiri. The widespread fires in Marivan and the images related to the efforts and solidarity of environmental activists and volunteers have sparked reactions from Iranian users. A user named Hamidreza shared a photo of the fire and said: 'The last road trip I took in Iran was to Marivan, the very forests that have been burning for a few days.' Sasan Amjadi also shared a photo from the fire in the forests of Daravaran village, stating: 'Wherever you look in this land, there is fire, blood, and suffering!' Kolbar News also published an image of environmental activists who, amidst their firefighting efforts, are hydrating a thirsty turtle. According to reports circulating on social media, a group of Marivani activists has called for a nationwide strike and shop closures on Wednesday, August 8, in protest against the ineffective approach of the Islamic Republic towards the widespread fires in the forests of Marivan.