A large-scale firefighting operation was launched Saturday to battle intensifying wildfires in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back tens of millions of years.
According to Kamran Pouladi, a member of parliament, five helicopters from the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Aerospace Force, the Iranian Army, and the Red Crescent were deployed to the rugged Elit region of Mazandaran Province. The fire, scattered across steep terrain, made ground operations nearly impossible. As a result, authorities requested the use of an Ilyushin water‑bombing aircraft.
“Yesterday the plane immediately entered the area and carried out two to three highly effective missions,” Pouladi said. “Today, two additional aircraft and a helicopter from Turkey joined the operation.”
Elias Hazrati, head of the government’s Information Office, confirmed that the Ilyushin aircraft, capable of carrying 40 tons of water, had already conducted two drops on Saturday morning, significantly reducing the flames.
The wildfire first broke out on November 1 and was contained after several days, but reignited on November 15, spreading rapidly. Natural resources experts believe human activity is the likely cause, pointing to careless hunters or abandoned campfires left by tourists. Mazandaran’s governor, Mehdi Younesi Rostami, said the origin of the blaze is “very likely human.”
More than ten hectares of forest have reportedly been damaged, with young saplings, shrubs, and fertile soil layers suffering the most. Experts warn that recovery could take years. Even with much of the fire contained, danger remains, as smoldering embers can survive underground for weeks and reignite with the slightest wind, prompting continuous monitoring by emergency crews.
This environmental disaster has underscored the urgent need for modern firefighting systems, community training, and early warning networks in Iran. The Hyrcanian forests, stretching along the southern Caspian Sea and estimated to be 25 to 50 million years old, were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2019 for their extraordinary biodiversity and geological value.
