The Karkheh national park, located in southwestern Khuzestan province, is part of the last remaining subtropical forests which is the habitat of the Persian fallow deer, an endangered species. The Karkheh forests are at risk of wildfire due to their proximity to farmlands. (IRNA photos/Ali Moaref)
Fire poses a great threat to the forests and intensifies during the crop harvest season. The most important cause of fire is the act of burning straw and chaff in nearby farmlands.
The latest fire broke out in farmlands near the Karkheh forests in early May.
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