Wildfire Destroys 45 Acres of Forest in Afghanistan’s Nuristan Province

A massive wildfire that raged for four days in Kamdesh district of Afghanistan’s Nuristan province has destroyed at least 45 acres of forest, according to officials.

The spokesperson for the Taliban-appointed governor’s office in Nuristan confirmed that the fire broke out on Sunday in the village of Kashtoz. It was contained only after several days, with the joint efforts of local residents and Taliban forces.

Although local sources report that the Taliban’s Environmental Protection Department dispatched a response team only two days after the fire began, the Taliban’s regional spokesperson blamed the incident on public negligence.

The fire highlights ongoing challenges in forested regions like Nuristan, where lack of preparedness and capacity for responding to natural disasters remain major issues. The Taliban administration has repeatedly been criticized for its slow and ineffective approach to protecting the country’s natural resources.