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Iranwire – A forest fire that began on Wednesday evening continues to burn in the “Red Mountain” (Koh-e-Sorekh) protected area of Gachsaran city in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province of Iran.
Mohammad Amin Hosseini, head of the Gachsaran Environmental Protection Department, reported the ongoing situation to the official IRNA news agency.
Hosseini explained that extinguishing efforts have been hampered by the area’s challenging terrain, including rocky surfaces, steep slopes, and dense vegetation. Strong winds have further complicated firefighting efforts.
More than 20 rescuers have been battling the blaze since it started, but as of the latest update, the fire remains uncontained.
The “Red Mountain” area is home to over 270 plant species, with 37 of them classified as rare and unique.
This incident is part of a larger pattern of forest fires that have swept through the Zagros mountain range this year, from Kurdistan in the north to Fars province in the south. Reports indicate that over 15,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed by flames in these fires.
A recent fire in the protected Khaiz area of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad reportedly burned “about 40 to 50 percent” of that region.
The frequency and scale of these fires are a cause for concern. The Ettilaat newspaper reported that between 2011 and 2021, Iran experienced more than 22,000 forest and pasture fires, resulting in the complete destruction of over 100,000 hectares of forested land.
