House fires recorded ‘every week’ in Iraq due to tribal conflicts: Firefighting authority

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s top firefighting official recently said that the country records new house fires every week due to tribal conflicts. 

Major Kadhim Buhan, the head of the General Directorate of Civil Defense, told the state-run Al Iraqiya TV channel on Thursday that the country has also recorded several cases of arson, which he described as “politically motivated.” 

The firefighting authority records “house fires every week instigated by tribal conflicts,” he added. 

In recent years, there has been a significant surge in violence due to tribal conflicts in Iraq, particularly in the southern Maysan province. 

Over the past four years alone, more than 1,000 people have been killed by tribal skirmishes in that province.

In response, the Iraqi government formed the Maysan Operations Command in February. That same month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi also visited the southern province. 

Buhan also said that efforts are underway to amend fire safety procedures in the country. He noted that negligence has resulted in deadly infernos, particularly in medical facilities, in recent years. 

In two deadly infernos in 2021 that broke out in two separate COVID-19 wards, nearly 175 people were killed and more than 200 others injured.

In response, Iraq has prohibited the admission of patients into so-called “caravan hospitals”, as they are highly vulnerable to fires due to the construction materials used to build them. 

In addition to the lack of investment in the public health sector and chronic corruption, observers believe “sandwich panels” – a construction material used in building many hospitals throughout Iraq – have made fires more fatal since they are highly flammable. 

Private generators, which are all over the country since the national grid is incapable of providing 24-hour electricity, sometimes catch fire. 

There are 19,000 large generators in the capital Baghdad alone, Buhan said, adding there are almost four million generators in homes and shops.