Wildfires that broke out in Yarmouk Forest Reserve on Saturday night caused the loss of forestry and natural resources, according to the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

Othman Tawalbeh, director of protected areas at the RSCN, said in a statement sent to The Jordan Times on Sunday that preliminary indications show that arson may have been the cause of the fire, particularly given that the area where the blaze started is a protected and restricted zone.

“The fire started at nighttime which means that the arsonist had predetermined intentions,” Tawalbeh stated. He added that about 1,630 dunums of forest have been burnt, fully or partially affecting about 500 deciduous oak (also known as the Mount Tabor oak), which is Jordan’s national tree, 50 oak trees and 2,000 saplings.

Tawalbeh called for establishing a committee comprising RSCN personnel and other concerned authorities to investigate the cause of the fire.

Mohammad Malkawi, director of Yarmouk Forest Reserve, told The Jordan Times that the wildfire started around 11pm on Saturday.

“RSCN personnel have made considerable efforts together with competent authorities to prevent the fire from stretching to other areas,” he said.

Relevant authorities including the Civil Defence Directorate, and security agencies in cooperation with the RSCN and the local community, quickly responded to Yarmouk forest fires, read the RSCN statement.

The Civil Defence Directorate said that “firefighting operations lasted all night and for 10 consecutive hours”, noting that an investigation has been opened to establish the cause of the fire.

According to the RSCN website, Yarmouk Forest Reserve is located in the northwestern parts of Jordan, at the border with the  Golan Heights with a total area of 20.5 square kilometres.

The reserve has four vegetation types: Deciduous oak forest, freshwater vegetation types, Mediterranean non-forest and cultivated Aleppo Pine, the website added.