Avash News: Colonel Majid Zakariyaee said that the fire in the Elit region has been completely contained and forces are conducting mop-up operations. The fires in Kelardasht, Noshahr, and Ramsar have also been extinguished.
He continued that the firefighting operation is currently underway in Golestan County near Mohammad-Abad, Sousara, Sang, Galikesh, Kalaleh, and Minoodasht.
Zakariyaee added that in Jolfa, in East Azarbaijan Province, firefighting operations in the Arasbaran forests have taken four days so far. “Two locals reported fires in two separate spots in the forest, and forces are on site.”
He said that fires were also reported on Saturday and Sunday in Gilan, which have now been contained.
The head of Iran’s Crisis Management Headquarters: Main firefighting operation concludes in Hyrcanian Forest
The head of Iran’s Crisis Management Headquarters has announced that the main operation to contain the fire in Mazandaran forests has concluded. However, due to the presence of accumulated leaves and tree trunks, mop-up operations are still ongoing.
Avash News: On the ninth day of efforts to contain the fire in Elit Forest, Hossein Sajedi-Nia praised the more than a week-long efforts of various aid, military, and volunteer forces. He said that, under the direction of the commander of crisis management in Mazandaran Province, the main firefighting operation has ended, but because of the unique conditions of the ancient forests, logs and accumulated leaves may still ignite. Therefore, personnel from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment must remain in the area continuously.
He added that volunteers from across the country participated in the operation and, fortunately, there were no issues with food and provisions.
Sajedi-Nia also stated that, as decided by the governor, firefighting units, Red Crescent teams, emergency services, and other aid workers will stay in the region until the mop-up operation is fully completed.
He noted that both aerial and ground equipment—such as water-dropping aircraft, helicopters, fire blowers, and hand tools—were deployed to control the fire.
The official also praised international cooperation, highlighting that Turkey provided two water-dropping aircraft and a helicopter to assist in the relief efforts.
He added that weather forecasts predict possible rainfall in the region, but until then, forces will remain on-site to continue mop-up and monitoring operations.
Iran says Chalous forest fire 90% contained, final operations underway
Iranian authorities said on Monday that firefighters have contained about 90% of a forest blaze in the Elit area of Chalous in northern Mazandaran province, with officials expecting most remaining hotspots to be extinguished later in the day.
Gholamali Fakhari, head of the Mazandaran Red Crescent Society, told reporters on the sidelines of a provincial crisis-management meeting in Chalous that ground teams and aerial units were continuing operations.
“Based on today’s field reports, about 90% of the fire has been brought under control and only a limited section remains,” he said, adding that improved weather conditions had boosted visibility and allowed helicopters to operate more effectively.
Forested areas around Elit village in Marzanabad have suffered two rounds of fires this month. The first fire broke out on November 1 and was contained after several days of firefighting.
The second blaze began last Saturday and has now burned for eight days. Despite the deployment of three helicopters and extensive efforts by emergency responders and local volunteers, pockets of fire are still burning, officials said.
Turkish water-bombing aircraft arrive in Iran
Two firefighting aircraft and one helicopter from Turkey arrived at Ardabil Airport at noon on Sunday. After refueling and receiving instructions from Iran’s National Crisis Management Organization, they will participate in efforts to contain the wildfire in the Elite forests of Chalous.
The aerial team consists of two AT-8T water-bombing aircraft and an H60 turboprop helicopter, each with a water-carrying capacity of over 3,000 liters. After refueling in Ardabil, they will be deployed to the Elite region.
These aircraft have considerable capability for taking off and landing on short runways, as well as scooping water from seas and lakes. One of them is especially suited for fighting fires in forests, rangelands, and hard-to-access areas.
The flight group is expected to depart for Mazandaran Province within minutes.
Broad effort to contain raging fires in Elit Forest
Iran’s Vice President and head of the Department of Environment has said that a field visit to the fire-stricken region shows the blaze continues in scattered patches and intensifies with strong winds. She emphasized the need for both domestic and international cooperation to contain the fire in northern Mazandaran Province.
Avash News: Shina Ansari stated on Saturday, Nov. 22, that all government bodies are working together to extinguish the fire. She said follow-up measures have been taken to dispatch Ilyushin aircraft and additional helicopters to the region. “Currently, two Ilyushin aircraft have been deployed and have conducted water-dropping operations twice,” Ansari said, adding that six helicopters have also been sent to assist in containing the fire.
Ansari added that about 400 personnel—including local residents, rangers, the Crisis Management Headquarters, and the Red Crescent—have been mobilized in the area to help bring the fire under control.
She noted that, with the cooperation of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two firefighting aircraft from Turkey, along with a helicopter and eight specialized experts, have been deployed to the region. The Russian government has also expressed readiness to assist Iran if needed.
She underlined that today’s water-dropping missions have been highly effective. “Fires are visible on slopes in scattered spots and continue to burn. Once the smoke clears, helicopters will begin identifying and extinguishing remaining hotspots.”
“Yesterday, two Ilyushin aircraft carried out two water-dropping operations. Today, two more Ilyushins are on site, each capable of conducting two drops of 40 tons of water. Thus, four flights will be carried out today,” she said.
She added that Turkish aircraft, being smaller, are capable of flying at lower altitudes. “If any issue arises, Russian capabilities can also be utilized.”
The Elit Forest, located in Marzan-Abad near Chalous in northern Mazandaran Province, has experienced two waves of fires— the first on November 1, which was extinguished after several days of effort, and the second beginning on November 15, which is still ongoing. Thanks to the use of multiple helicopters and the efforts of local and rescue forces, a large portion of the fire has been brought under control, with only a small area still burning.
Approximately eight hectares of the forest have been affected, seven of which have been extinguished through aerial and ground operations. Currently, less than one hectare remains ablaze.
High temperatures, difficult terrain, and the accumulation of dry leaves and dead trees have caused repeated fires in the region.
