Iran’s National Disaster Management Organization announced on Monday that the main phase of efforts to contain the large forest fire in Mazandaran Province has been completed, while ground teams will continue monitoring the affected areas due to the risk of renewed flames.
Hossein Sajedi-Nia, head of the organization, said during a crisis-management meeting in the village of Elit that despite significant progress, smoldering tree stumps and accumulated dry leaves could still reignite.
He stressed that natural-resources and environmental-protection personnel must maintain a constant presence in the region.
The fire, which has burned for nine consecutive days in the forests around Elit in Chalus County, mobilized extensive emergency resources, including firefighters, Red Crescent teams, paramedics, military and police units, and hundreds of civilian volunteers.
According to officials, local communities from across the country joined the response effort, with logistical support sufficiently provided.
Sajedi-Nia said both aerial and ground equipment were deployed, including water-bombing aircraft, helicopters, and portable firefighting tools used by mountaineering and rescue teams in hard-to-reach terrain.
He also expressed appreciation for foreign assistance, noting that Turkey dispatched two water-bombing planes and a helicopter to support operations.
Although weather conditions limited their full deployment, he described the gesture as a sign of international solidarity.