DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Iraq’s civil defense said on Monday that fire incidents across the country have dropped by 58 percent this year, attributing it to intensified efforts to enforce environmental regulations and monitor violations. 

Muhsin Kadhim al-Allak, director of Iraq’s civil defense, said his teams extinguished 5,564 fires this year, a drop of 58 percent compared to last year. 

Iraq frequently experiences fires, exacerbated by the lack of enforcement of fire and safety regulations. The risks significantly increase during the scorching summer months, with extreme heat heightening the risk of blazes.

Miqdad Miri, head of the ministry’s relations and media department, told reporters that the environmental police filed 380 lawsuits in recent months against violators of environmental regulations, along with another 380 cases against public and private institutions. 

He said authorities also issued 620 warning notices to facilities that violated environmental standards, seized 1,121 non-compliant brick factories, and identified 36 food-production sites polluting the air without official permits.

A meeting is set to be held on Monday with representatives from the armed forces, the environment ministry, and municipal directorates to review current measures, strengthen inspection plans, and improve follow-up on environmental violations, according to Miri.

In July, 61 people were killed after a massive fire tore through a newly opened hypermarket in Kut, the capital of Iraq’s Wasit province.  

Authorities later confirmed that the building had been operating without construction permits, safety approvals, or an investment license. It was one of Iraq’s deadliest civil disasters in recent years.

Despite recent government measures, the scale and frequency of fire incidents continue to raise serious concerns about public safety and regulatory oversight.