Hyrcanian Forest Fires: When Ancient Heritage Burns

In November 2025, Iran requested urgent assistance from friendly countries to contain a large wildfire in the Hyrcanian forests after flames reignited in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed area in mid-November.

The forest fire started on October 31 near the village of Elit, in an area described as one of the world’s oldest and most biodiverse ecosystems. This incident represents far more than a natural disaster. It is a stark illustration of the challenges facing heritage fire protection worldwide, particularly in resource-constrained contexts facing climate extremes.

The Hyrcanian Forests: A Living Heritage

The Hyrcanian forests stretch along the southern Caspian Sea coast and date back 50 million years, home to 3,200 plant species which represent floral biodiversity remarkable at the global level. UNESCO recognized the Hyrcanian forests as a World Heritage Site in 2019, describing the area as being between 25 and 50 million years old.

In Iran, the forests cover roughly 1.6–1.7 million hectares, mostly in Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan provinces, where they regulate local climate, stabilize soils, and act as natural filters for dust and pollutants—which is why many Iranians call them “the lungs of the country”.

Biodiversity Value

UNESCO states that the forests contain a large number of rare and endemic tree species and are home to many relic and endangered plant species. The forests are home to over 3,200 plant species and endangered wildlife, including Persian leopards.

As UN scientist and former Iranian environmental official Kaveh Madani powerfully stated: “Iranians are losing a natural heritage that is older than Persian civilization”.

Timeline of the November 2025 Fire Event

The blaze began near the village of Elit in Mazandaran Province on October 31. According to local sources, the presence of several hunters in this rugged mountainous area strengthened the likelihood of human involvement in the incident.

The blaze first broke out in early November, was temporarily brought under control and then reignited on 15 November. Helicopters and specialist aircraft were deployed only after two weeks of public pressure, and only after Tehran formally asked Turkey and other countries for help—a rare admission that it could not handle the disaster alone.

Scale and Complexity

The Director general of crisis management for Iran’s Mazandaran province, described the operation to extinguish the fire as “one of the most complex in recent years”.

Approximately 7 to 8 hectares of the Hyrcanian Elit forests have been affected by the wildfire according official Iranian government figure (NASA satellite imagery seems to show more than 600 hectares) and at least 20 injured volunteers.

A deputy to Iranian President  announced on X on November 21 that arrangements had been made to quickly request assistance from friendly countries. The Head of the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization, said two specialized water bomber aircraft, a helicopter and eight personnel would be dispatched from Turkey.

Iran deployed two Ilyushin firefighting planes, eight helicopters and about 520 firefighters amid a severe nationwide drought and rainfall 85 percent below average. More than 60 sorties have been completed, with nearly 400 rescue workers, forest rangers, and local volunteers participating daily.

Current Status

At the time of this posting, while the most recent and extensive wildfires in the Hyrcanian Forests have been extinguished, authorities have issued warnings that dry conditions persist and that access will remain restricted until effective autumn rains arrive. Consequently, Iran has closed its northern Hyrcanian forests, Zagros forests, and the Arasbaran region to tourists and non-essential traffic due to the heightened fire risk associated with severe drought conditions.

Contributing Factors: A Perfect Storm

The country is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in around six decades. This prolonged drought created exceptionally dry conditions in forests that normally benefit from Caspian Sea moisture.

The rocky terrain continues to slow ground teams, and each gust of wind or fall of dry leaves re-ignites surface flames, with some valley areas still experiencing surface fires and only trained personnel able to access the high elevations.

Opposition sources and locals describe the blaze as an ongoing catastrophe, accusing the government of criminal negligence for allowing the fire to burn for nearly three weeks with limited equipment. The delayed deployment of aerial resources proved particularly problematic in the fire’s early stages.

The director of the local Natural Resources and Watershed Management department in Semnan province said that a separate fire was most likely caused by human activity, highlighting the ongoing challenge of managing human interaction with fire-vulnerable heritage landscapes.

Cascading Fire Events

The Elit fire was not an isolated incident. Iran announced a new fire that broke out in parts of the Hyrcanian forests in the Clouds Forest of the Shahrud region, which was brought under control just hours after it started. The director of the local Natural Resources and Watershed Management department said the blaze had affected 10 hectares of woodland near the border of Semnan and Golestan provinces.

The closure follows widespread fires over the past days in Golestan province, particularly in the forested areas of Ali Abad Katoul, Kordkooy and Ramian, which officials called “a serious alarm bell” for all Hyrcanian forests.

Duration and Intensity

In a report on Sunday, the semi-official ISNA news agency has been reported to have stated that the fire has been burning for about 20 days, though officials disputed this timeline. Regardless, the extended duration created cumulative damage far exceeding the reported 8-hectare footprint, including:

• Smoke damage to adjacent forest areas
• Soil sterilization in burned zones affecting regeneration
• Wildlife displacement and mortality
• Watershed degradation with long-term hydrological impacts
• Psychological trauma to communities dependent on forest resources

Critical Lessons for Heritage Fire Protection

Climate Change Intensifies Heritage Fire Risk

The Hyrcanian fires demonstrate how climate-induced drought transforms heritage landscapes from naturally fire-resistant to highly vulnerable. Fires in the Hyrcanian forests have escalated in frequency and intensity, causing considerable economic losses to local communities and damage to forests, agriculture, infrastructure and increasing firefighting costs.

Implications for heritage managers:

• Traditional fire risk assessments may no longer be valid under changing climate conditions
• Historic fire return intervals cannot be relied upon for planning
• Heritage sites in naturally humid regions may face unprecedented fire risk
• Long-term drought preparation must become part of heritage conservation planning

Terrain Complexity Demands Specialized Response

The Deputy to Iranian President wrote that Iran had requested urgent assistance from friendly countries because domestic efforts could not keep the fire under control. The steep slopes and rocky terrain of the Hyrcanian forests overwhelmed ground-based firefighting capabilities.

Implications for heritage managers:

• Heritage landscapes with complex topography require pre-positioned aerial firefighting capacity
• Ground crew access limitations must be identified in advance
• International mutual aid agreements may be necessary for remote or difficult heritage sites
• Specialized training in mountain or wilderness firefighting may be essential

Delayed Response Compounds Damage

Local reports indicate helicopters and specialist aircraft were deployed only after two weeks of public pressure. This delay allowed the fire to establish itself in difficult terrain and created conditions for repeated reignition.

Implications for heritage managers:

• Pre-established response protocols must include immediate aerial resource deployment criteria
• Political or bureaucratic barriers to resource deployment must be eliminated in advance
• Early aggressive response is more cost-effective than extended suppression campaigns
• Heritage sites should not have to wait for “public pressure” to receive adequate resources

International Cooperation is Essential for Major Heritage Fires

Iran may seek assistance from Russia if additional support is required beyond the Turkish deployment. The recognition that a nation cannot protect its own World Heritage site alone is significant.

Implications for heritage managers:

• UNESCO World Heritage status should come with mutual aid commitments
• International firefighting resource sharing agreements should be established in advance
• Language barriers, equipment compatibility, and command structures should be addressed before emergencies
• Heritage sites of global importance deserve global firefighting response capacity

Living Heritage Requires Different Fire Management

Unlike museum collections that can be evacuated, the Hyrcanian forests regulate local climate, stabilize soils, and act as natural filters—they cannot be moved to safety. This living heritage requires in-situ protection strategies.

Implications for heritage managers:

• Traditional salvage-focused damage limitation approaches don’t apply to landscape heritage
• Prevention and rapid suppression become the only viable strategies
• Landscape fire modeling must account for heritage values, not just structural assets
• Post-fire recovery planning for living heritage requires decades of ecological restoration commitment

Conclusion: Heritage Fire Protection at the Intersection of Climate, Politics, and Science

The November 2025 Hyrcanian forest fire represents far more than eight hectares of burned woodland. It exemplifies the escalating challenges facing heritage fire protection worldwide:

• Climate change transforming traditionally low-risk heritage sites into fire-vulnerable landscapes
• Resource constraints preventing adequate protection of globally significant heritage
• Political barriers delaying effective response and suppressing environmental monitoring
• Technical complexity requiring international cooperation and specialized capabilities
• Irreplaceable loss of living heritage that cannot be reconstructed or replaced

As noted by the International Fire and Safety Journal, the Hyrcanian wildfire shows how prolonged drought can make forest fires harder to control over extended periods, demonstrating that fire in World Heritage forests can quickly become an international issue when assets of global importance are at risk.

For heritage fire protection professionals, the Hyrcanian fire offers clear lessons:

1. Climate-driven heritage fire risk is accelerating faster than protection capabilities are developing
2. Traditional fire risk models and response strategies may be inadequate for changed conditions
3. International cooperation is essential for protecting heritage of global significance
4. Early aggressive response is far more effective than extended suppression campaigns
5. Living heritage requires fundamentally different protection strategies than built heritage
6. Political will and resource allocation matter as much as technical firefighting capability

The question facing the heritage protection community is whether we will learn these lessons before the next irreplaceable heritage site burns. The Hyrcanian forests—older than Persian civilization itself—have survived for 50 million years. Whether they survive the 21st century depends on decisions we make today.