A fire erupted near the Erbil-Gazna road on Friday, destroying six concrete mixer trucks. The blaze, initially sparked by dry shrubs, intensified upon contact with a fuel tank.

Civil defense teams promptly responded and managed to extinguish the fire, as reported by Rudaw’s correspondent on the scene. Preliminary reports from civil defense officials and eyewitnesses suggest that the fire began in dried shrubs and quickly spread towards a nearby factory. The fire escalated after reaching the fuel tank of one mixer, subsequently engulfing the other trucks parked nearby.

“There have been no injuries, but four trucks have completely burned down, and one or two others were damaged,” reported Rudaw’s Bakhtiyar Qadir.

Fires are a recurrent issue in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, particularly during the summer months when high temperatures increase the risk of such incidents. Safety standards are often neglected, contributing to the frequency and severity of these fires.

In a related incident, a massive fire in Hasil village, southern Sulaimani province, on Sunday resulted in the death of around 300 livestock. Strong winds exacerbated the blaze, causing over $90,000 in damages to three families.

Friday's fire marks the third major blaze in Erbil within two days. On Wednesday, an asphalt storage facility fire on the Erbil-Gwer road was controlled after 20 hours, injuring 14 workers and destroying four fire trucks. No casualties were reported. On Thursday, a fire broke out at the top of an unfinished residential building in western Erbil, fortunately without causing any injuries.

These incidents highlight the urgent need for improved safety standards and the implementation of adequate fire prevention measures, including fire extinguishers and emergency evacuation routes, to prevent such disasters in the future.