Shafaq News- Ilam

A wildfire burned through around 15 hectares of protected virgin forest in the Kabir Kuh mountain range in Iran's Ilam Province, authorities said on Sunday, as crews remained on alert over the risk of renewed flare-ups in the rugged area.

Speaking to Iran's Mehr News Agency, provincial natural resources official Bassem Khan Mohammadian said the fire broke out on Saturday afternoon in the highlands overlooking the historic Gavmishan Bridge near Darreh Shahr, prompting a large-scale response involving more than 70 firefighters, environmental workers, and local volunteers.

Stretching about 175 kilometers across western Iran's Ilam and Lorestan provinces, the Kabir Kuh range contains extensive Persian oak forests and a variety of ecosystems, including steppe vegetation and pastures.