In the Shet district of the Karaganda region, a large natural fire that broke out near the village of Unirek has been contained. The firefighting effort involved the use of emergency aviation, according to the website infohub.kz.
The fire affected the territory of the Karaganda forestry and wildlife protection enterprise. The total area of the fire reached 650 hectares, with 613.6 hectares of dry grass.
The ministry noted that the threat of the fire spreading to forest areas was avoided. Firefighting was complicated by the mountainous and hilly terrain, hard-to-reach areas, and strong gusts of wind, but the spread of the fire was stopped.
Aviation was used to fight individual hot spots in difficult terrain. Kazaviaspas helicopters made 26 water drops with a total volume of 78 tons using special water discharge devices.
About 310 people and 44 pieces of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire. The operation involved employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, local executive bodies, forestry and other services, as well as two Kazaviaspas helicopters.
Currently, specialists continue to water down the area and eliminate individual smoldering spots. The situation remains under the control of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Earlier, there were reports of casualties as a result of natural fires in the Karaganda region. In addition, in the Karkaraly district, rescuers are extinguishing a fire of dry vegetation around the clock.