Repeated fires in Erbil spark fear among shopkeepers

Shafaq News/A spate of recent fires in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Region, has sparked fear among shopkeepers and raised questions about the cause of the repeated blazes.

Two major fires ripped through the city's popular Bala Market within two months, while Sheikh Allah Market in the city center also saw two fires erupt in the same day. These incidents, along with other fires in various locations, have cast a shadow of worry over local businesses.

"My shop completely burned down in the first Bala Market fire, causing significant financial losses," Mohammed, a shopkeeper at the market, told Shafaq News Agency. "I can't say for sure what caused these incidents, but I hope the truth comes out as soon as possible."

"People are saying they saw unknown individuals setting fire to the market," Hoshang, another shopkeeper, said. "The second fire at the Bala Market just before Eid al-Fitr burned down over 150 shops, but the security forces haven't revealed any investigation results yet. Despite all the suspicion, nothing is confirmed, and we just want the truth revealed as soon as possible."

Major Siraj Taifor, spokesperson for the Erbil Civil Defense, told Shafaq News Agency that "there's no single definitive cause, but in general, most cases we've recorded recently were due to electrical faults."

"The relevant authorities conduct annual inspections of all businesses in Erbil," Taifor added. "As part of the measures, we've intensified inspection campaigns, along with providing large quantities of fire protection materials and equipment."

However, some experts remain skeptical that all the fires were accidental.

"It's not out of the question that the fires in Erbil are deliberate," Rikan Abdulsalam, an environmental researcher, told Shafaq News Agency. "There could be several other reasons behind these fires," Abdulsalam explained. "These include the lack of a proper firefighting system that meets international standards, non-compliance with safety regulations, and the limited number of training programs for Civil Defense personnel."

"The government needs to step up efforts in fire awareness and response mechanisms," Abdulsalam continued. "They should also penalize negligent shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and others, while providing advanced equipment to control fires, both within traditional markets and for the Civil Defense teams."