In the North Kazakhstan and Karaganda regions, a large-scale operation to extinguish dangerous wildfires was carried out on September 12 and 13, 2026: flames from dry grass and shrubs came right up to the railway tracks and threatened train traffic, the website infohub.kz reports.
To save the infrastructure and put out the flames, fire trains of the national company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) were urgently dispatched to the sites.
The most tense situation developed in the North Kazakhstan region on the Chkalovo — Zolotorunnoye section. Dry grass and a shelterbelt caught fire across an area of 1.6 hectares, and the wall of fire stopped just 10–15 meters from the rails.
A fire train from the Kokshetau station arrived at the emergency site. Sixty people and 10 pieces of equipment took part in extinguishing the blaze, and 15 tonnes of water were needed to knock down the fire front. Thanks to the rapid action of the crews, the fire was fully extinguished by 21:33.
In the Karaganda region, dry vegetation caught fire near Park No. 6 at the Karaganda-Sortirovochnaya station. Fire train No. 13 arrived at the scene within minutes and began supplying water at the 711th kilometer just three minutes after stopping. The hotspot was quickly contained.
KTZ emphasized that the prompt work of the special trains made it possible to avoid delays to passenger and freight trains, as well as damage to infrastructure. There were no casualties as a result of the incidents.