AMMAN, August 1 (Petra) -- In a semi-arid landscape where every tree represents decades of ecological endurance, the statistics are as sobering as they are destructive. Over a tracking period spanning 770 days, Jordan’s Civil Defense Directorate (CDD) responded to a staggering 29,547 vegetation fires across the Kingdom, resulting in the loss of 6,632 forest and fruit-bearing trees between 2024 and 2025 alone.

An extensive investigative review of official operational reports reveals a relentless environmental toll. The data outlines 22,038 dry grass fires, 2,636 forest tree fires, 3,996 fruit tree fires, and 887 field crop incidents during the monitored timeframe.

The annual statistical breakdown underscores the persistent threat. In 2024, fires consumed 1,488 forest trees, 2,959 fruit trees, 794 field crops, and 16,245 dry grass locations. While 2025 saw a marginal decrease in total acreage affected--recording 1,148 forest trees, 1,037 fruit trees, 93 field crops, and 5,783 dry grass sites--the underlying human-driven catalysts remained alarmingly high.

The Human Spark According to CDD operations data, human carelessness overwhelmingly dictates the fire frequency. In 2025 alone, discarded lighters accounted for 4,866 incidents, while cigarette butts triggered 986 fires. Together, these two habits sparked 5,855 separate blazes.

Further compounding the crisis, children playing with fire caused 1,930 incidents, matches accounted for 60, electrical shorts sparked 38, unattended campfires and bonfires resulted in 4, leftovers of hot embers caused 81, and natural phenomena--specifically solar rays and lightning strikes--accounted for a mere four incidents combined.

Firefighting teams, supported by specialized CDD forensic laboratories and expert investigators equipped to test for accelerants, utilize advanced scientific classifications to analyze fire origins. Experts categorize these blazes under international standards--from Class A (organic solids) to Class B (liquids), C (gases), and D (metals)--allowing civil defense units to deploy precise suppression agents rather than relying solely on water.

The Irreplaceable Loss Beyond the ashes lies a harsher ecological reality: a mature tree destroyed by fire rarely returns.

Dr. Saud Al-Abbadi, a former professor at Mu'tah University’s Faculty of Agriculture, explains that a tree consumed entirely by a central blaze suffers cellular death across its structural framework, making recovery impossible.

"A tree that takes 20 years to reach maturity cannot simply regenerate if the core is destroyed," Al-Abbadi notes. Given Jordan’s semi-arid climate, where green cover requires intensive protection and afforestation efforts, every lost tree deals a heavy blow to the national ecosystem.

He adds that while partially scorched trees can sometimes survive through aggressive pruning of damaged branches and dedicated care of surviving sections, total devastation demands a costly cycle of replanting.

For local farmers, the impact is both economic and deeply personal. Abu Tariq, a veteran agriculturist, compares the trauma of a fire on an olive grove to an injury inflicted on the human body. "Olive trees struck by fire take an exceedingly long time to heal, and in many cases, they never recover," he says.

Abu Tariq appeals directly to picnickers, motorists, and agricultural workers to exercise utmost vigilance--urging the public never to toss cigarette butts near forested strips, leave campfires unattended, or lose sight of children near rural lands.

As the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment, and the Civil Defense Directorate maintain high-alert advisories, authorities continue to stress that protecting Jordan's green wealth requires a collective cultural shift. In a fragile environment, prevention remains the only absolute defense against losses that take decades to reverse.

//Petra// AA