TEHRAN – The occurrence of wildfire in natural areas has declined by 49 percent since the beginning of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 21) compared to the same period last year, deputy commander of the protection unit of the Forests, Rangelands, and Watershed Management Organization, has said.

This year, with the implementation of protective measures and increasing public participation and equipping protection units, the burnt areas in natural resources have decreased by 46 percent compared to the previous year, IRNA quoted Ali Mohammadi Moghaddam as saying on Saturday.

The highest rate of wildfires occurs in forests and woodlands, he highlighted.

During this period, over 3,000 vehicles carrying smuggled wood and coal have been confiscated; and 4,500 land grabbers in natural resources were arrested, he lamented.

The highest rate of wildfire occurs in forests and woodlands.Currently, 5,000 rangers are active to protect natural resources, however, one protection force is needed for every 2,000 hectares of forest and one protection force for every 10,000 hectares of pasture, which has not been achieved in the country due to lack of manpower.

According to Mohammadi Moghaddam, there are currently 135 million hectares of forests and pastures in the country, with one ranger per 6,000 hectares of forest, and one ranger per 30,000 hectares of pastures.

Due to the hot season and the increasing risk of wildfires, fire prevention procedures will be prepared and announced to all the provinces, Jamshid Mohabbat Khani, commander of the protection unit of the Department of Environment (DOE), said in April.

Rainfall this year was lower than in previous years, so wildfires start sooner so that the most important and effective way to reduce wildfires is to inform the public and raise awareness, he highlighted.

Mohabbat Khani pointing out that wildfires are mostly caused by unintentional human error, said that over 90 percent of wildfires are ignited by humans unintentionally while setting fires in nature, smoking, and releasing plastic and glass containers.

Every fire causes a lot of damage to the environment and ecosystem; It is not only the plants that are destroyed but also the living organisms that are trapped in the fire, he lamented.

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