A large forest fire that raged in the Abay region since July 16 has been contained. The Ministry of Emergency Situations made the official announcement, according to infohub.kz.
"The fire in the Kamyshensky forestry of the Borodulikha branch of the state forest natural reserve 'Semey Ormany' in the Abay region has been contained," the ministry said.
To fight the fire, 623 people, 169 ground vehicles, and seven helicopters were deployed. The work of firefighters was complicated by extreme heat, high fire danger class, and difficult terrain. On the instructions of the Prime Minister, Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Minister Chingis Arinov and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Erlan Nysanbayev arrived at the scene.
Earlier it was reported that open burning in the reserve had been completely extinguished, but rescuers continue to fight smoldering hotspots. The total area of the forest fire reached 370 hectares. The official cause of the fire has not yet been established, but as a preliminary version, the Minister of Ecology cited a lightning discharge.
'Semey Ormany' has already been the site of one of the worst forest tragedies in Kazakhstan's history. In June 2023, a large-scale fire occurred here, killing 15 forestry workers. In early June 2026, at a government briefing, journalists asked Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Nurken Sharbiyev about measures taken after the tragedy to prevent such fires, update firefighting equipment, and increase wages for forestry workers.