ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - More than 150 fires have been recorded in Erbil province in the past six months, the civil defense said Saturday, with arson, cigarettes, and farmers burning crop residue accounting for most of the outbreaks.

“From January 6, 2026, to present, more than 152 fire incidents have been recorded within the borders of Erbil,” Erbil civil defense spokesperson Shakhawan Saeed told The New Region, adding that 139 blazes ignited from dry straw and other plants being burned, while another 13 fires started at wheat fields ahead of harvest.

Most of the fires are attributed to “arson, negligence, and the discarding of cigarette filters,” according to the spokesperson, who also noted that “some farmers also burn crop residue after harvesting.”

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region frequently face fires due to weak enforcement of safety and environmental rules, particularly during extreme summer heat.

The scorching heat during the warmer months of the year and the drying of nature and landscape in the Kurdistan Region’s wilderness and farms also render the area vulnerable to ignition and expansion of wildfires.

A large blaze at a chips factory in Erbil’s Pirzin neighborhood in January caused extensive material damage, requiring at least 20 civil defense teams to put out the fire.

Forest fires burned around 27,000 dunams of land in the first six months of 2025, according to Fuad Ahmed, head of the Kurdistan Region Forest Police’s media department.