Zagros burned in the fire!+ photo

 

 

The Zagros forest fires cover pastures and protected areas in the south and west of the Zagros. The three provinces are the main focus of the fire, and the main fires are in the Khaeiz area of ​​Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces, and the Black Hill no-hunting zone in Bushehr Province.

In this regard, in May-June 2020, large-scale fires broke out in the forests of the Zagros Mountains, and the relevant authorities were accused of negligence in protecting forests and countering fires.

 

Geography

The forests of the Zagros, with an area of ​​11 million hectares, make up 40% of Iran's forests, including about 70% of the Zagros forest species.

Maple, kikum, coriander, sparrow tongue, wild pear, willow, purple, almond varieties and other trees. Oak forests in the Zagros region begin in northwestern Iran and extend to southwestern Iran.

 

The destruction of the forests of the Zagros

In recent decades, one-sixth of the Zagros forest area has been destroyed for various reasons. According to the province's natural resources statistics, 75 fires broke out in the forests of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces in 1995, burning 950 hectares of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad forests.

Also, in 1996, by the end of December, there were 110 fires in the forests and pastures of the province, in which 700 hectares of the province's forests were burned. In 1998, 364 hectares of forests and pastures in the province caught fire. According to Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad's director general of environmental protection, the cause of most of the fires last year was human, and one of the main reasons for the fires in those areas was the burning of straw in agricultural fields.

Extreme winds, difficult access areas, high altitudes and Breadth of rangelands , along with a shortage of manpower and support equipment play a significant role in preventing and controlling fires.

 

The extent of fires

According to official statistics, 500 hectares of Zagros forests have been set on fire in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces alone.

 

Areas affected by fires

Here are some areas affected by fires.

 

Khaeiz

Khaeiz region is the border between Khuzestan province and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces. Khaeiz Protected Area with an area of ​​more than 33,000 hectares is located 15 km from Dehdasht and is connected to Behbahan from the south, to Paduk Bridge in Khairabad Gachsaran from the east and to Maroun Dam from the west. The fire started on Thursday, May 28, 1999 in a part of the forests on the northern side of Khaeiz

. The fire started from Behbahan in Khuzestan province and because it was not controlled in time, it spread to Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces and reached the heights and spread.

The cause of the fire was the dispute between two livestock farmers living on the slopes of Khaeiz Mountain, which, despite the presence of popular forces, non-governmental organizations and the executive apparatus, was exacerbated by the strong winds of the blaze.

 

Bushehr province

In the heights of the hunting area of ​​Kuh-e-Siah in Bushehr, Dashtestan city, Bushehr province, the cause of the fire is lightning. One day after the fire, two helicopters were sent from Fars province to help the area, both of which were technically defective and could not pull the Black Mountain out of the fire, and the fire spread to other parts of the province.

Black Mountain has been on fire since Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

The blaze caused extensive damage to the region's groves, leaving at least 300 palm trees on fire. The fire was finally contorolled on 30 may. Earlier, a fire in the Dehroud area of ​​Dashtestan and the Birmi mountains of the Khaeiz Tangestan region also burned 620 hectares of pastures in these areas. In April and May, 31 fires broke out in the pastures of Bushehr province and 194 hectares of the province's pastures were on fire.

 

Diary

On Sunday, May 31, a fire broke out in the Khaeiz Protected Area, again from the Strait to Behbahan. So far, one firefighter has been killed and three others injured. They need a sprinkler helicopter to control the fire, but so far a number of people's forces have been present to put out the fire.

 

Reactions

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad's director general of environmental protection, said:"The fire that sweeched in the forests and pastures of Khaeiz Mountain in Kohgiluyeh city since the evening of Thursday, May 28, 2020 and has been continued, Due to lack of manpower and logistics."

Kohgiluyeh's deputy governor called the situation in the Khaeiz protected area "extremely critical" and called on the country's crisis management to take action.

In this regard, many artistic, sports, political and media figures reacted and called on the authorities to take immediate action to put out the fire.

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  Faranak-Masoudi (agricultural reporter)