ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Civil Defense Directorate said on Friday it has shut down around 10,000 commercial and industrial buildings across the country this year for failing to meet fire safety requirements, as authorities seek to curb recurring and often deadly blazes.
Nawas Sabah Shakir, head of media and public relations at the Civil Defense Directorate, told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) that in 2025, authorities “monitored about 10,000 commercial and industrial buildings and other projects that violated safety conditions,” closing them “for not conforming to the requirements of prevention.”
He emphasized that the measures aim “to reduce fire incidents by addressing their causes.”
Fires remain a persistent threat across Iraq, driven by factors including aging infrastructure, overcrowded public areas, poor electrical systems, and the widespread absence of basic fire safety measures.
“These facilities will not be allowed to reopen and resume their activities until they meet all the required safety standards,” Shakir said.