Shafaq News – Duhok

The Duhok Province in Iraqi Kurdistan received 35 advanced firefighting units on Wednesday to tackle wildfires in mountainous and forested terrain.

Colonel Biwar Abdul Aziz, the Fire Department spokesperson, confirmed to Shafaq News that the equipment—donated by the Dutch NGO Dorcas—will be distributed to local teams to improve mobility, reduce response time, and enhance safety in rugged areas.

Each unit, he noted, matches the output of 11 civil defense personnel, “significantly increasing firefighting efficiency during emergencies.”

Since the start of 2025, Duhok has recorded 1,382 incidents, including 1,009 wildfires, which Abdul Aziz described as dangerously high, resulting in five deaths, nine injuries, and damages exceeding 6.5 billion Iraqi dinars (around $4.57M).

Wildfires continue to surge across the Kurdistan Region, with neighboring Al-Sulaymaniyah reporting major losses, including a single-day fire that destroyed more than 1,000 trees.

Read more: 1K trees destroyed: Wildfire hits Kurdistan’s al-Sulaymaniyah