Iran seeks urgent help to fight fires in its ancient forests

2025-11-22 14:58:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Iran has requested immediate international assistance to extinguish a large fire that began spreading three weeks ago in the ancient Hyrcanian forests, which have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2019.

The fire, which started near the village of Elit in Mazandaran province on October 31, has eluded efforts to bring it under control and continues to threaten one of the oldest and richest ecosystems in the world.

Mohammad Jafar Qaempanah, vice president of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, announced on November 21 in X that preparations have been made to "rapidly seek assistance from friendly countries."

While Qaempanah did not specify which locations, Shina Ansari, head of Iran's Environment Department, later confirmed that Turkey would send two special firefighting planes, a helicopter and a team of eight people to help put out the flames.

Ansari added that Iran could also seek help from Russia, "if necessary."

Authorities claim the fire was initially brought under control after a few days, but a "second phase" reactivated last weekend.

However, environmental activists and local residents insist that the fire has continued to burn non-stop for the past three weeks and has never been fully brought under control.

The harsh terrain, extremely warm weather, and the accumulation of dry leaves and fallen trees have contributed to the persistence and spread of the fire.

Nighttime footage circulating online shows the extent of the damage and the grueling efforts of emergency crews and volunteers battling the flames.

Mehrdad Khazaei-Poul, head of Mazandaran's Department of Natural Resources, blamed the fire largely on human negligence.

"Unfortunately, some individuals acted carelessly, causing the fire," he said, stressing that "natural factors were not the main cause."

The Hyrcanian forests - about 660,000 hectares of which are located in Mazandaran Province - are among the oldest ecosystems in the world and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stretching along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, these forests date back more than 40 million years and contain trees up to 500 years old, according to UNESCO./ Rel