Shafaq News..Ten crop fires cause $100K+ in losses in Iraq’s Duhok

Shafaq News- Duhok

Ten fires damaged grain crops in Iraq’s Duhok province during the 2026 harvest season, causing estimated losses of 141.7 million dinars ($108,000), the provincial Civil Defense Directorate said on Tuesday.

Directorate spokesperson Capt. Bizhar Safar told Shafaq News that all 10 fires were extinguished by 30 Civil Defense teams comprising 323 officers and personnel deployed across 10 areas since January 27, though the total burned area could not be calculated accurately because the fires occurred across widely dispersed parts of the province.

Two fires also broke out near Blokin village in Al-Sulaymaniyah province on Tuesday, burning more than 80 Iraqi dunams of pasture and grassland and 130 trees. Forest and Environment Police explained that the fires were caused by a tractor operating in the area and that its owner was detained.

Read more: KRG tightens fire safety standards

Duhok recorded about 512 millimeters of rainfall this season, compared with 120 millimeters the previous year, while agricultural officials projected wheat production above 400,000 tons. Heavier rainfall increased vegetation and crop growth, prompting additional firefighting deployments during harvest. The province recorded 1,418 fires in 2025, including 1,010 involving wildfires or affecting forests, crops, and harvest residue, according to Civil Defense figures.

1 Iraqi dunam = 2,500 m²