Massive fire engulfs Baghdad

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A massive fire swept through a commercial area in Baghdad early Monday, causing extensive material damage. The blaze has since been extinguished, and no casualties have been reported.

"Civil Defense teams succeeded in containing the fires that broke out in a number of commercial buildings and warehouses designated for the sale and trade of spare parts and vehicle maintenance workshops in the Talibiya area in central Baghdad," the Iraqi General Civil Defence Directorate said in a statement. 

It added that an investigation has been launched into the incident and vowed to "hold accountable those who were negligent in implementing the occupational safety procedures issued by the Civil Defense Directorate despite the directorate's previous warnings."

Fires remain a persistent threat across Iraq, contributing factors include aging infrastructure, overcrowded public areas, poor electrical systems, and the widespread absence of basic fire safety measures.

The country recorded more than 3000 fire incidents in the first six months of this year, the Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate told Rudaw in August. The figure, which excludes the Kurdistan Region, represents a significant decrease compared to the same period in 2024.

One of the most severe incidents occurred in mid-July 2025, when a blaze at a shopping mall in al-Kut, the capital of Iraq’s southern Wasit province, claimed 63 lives.

Last month, Iraq’s interior minister ordered the immediate deployment and preparation of newly imported helicopters from South Korea to strengthen the country’s civil defense directorate, as Iraq continues to grapple with a persistent and often deadly fire crisis.