After the complete extinguishment of a natural fire in the state forest reserve "Semey Ormany", Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources will conduct an internal investigation, reports the website infohub.kz.
Niyaz Zholbarys, head of the forest control, protection and conservation department at the Ministry of Ecology, announced this at a briefing at the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES). According to him, the ministry will assess all circumstances once firefighting operations are completed.
"After the fire is extinguished, the Ministry of Ecology will conduct an internal investigation. We will communicate the details based on the results," Zholbarys stated.
In turn, Yerlan Turegeldiyev, chairman of the MES Fire Service Committee, said it is premature to draw conclusions about the performance of the early fire detection system until the blaze is fully extinguished. He added that any shortcomings or technical malfunctions in the system will be identified during the subsequent investigation.
"As for the early detection system – if there were any shortcomings or malfunctions, they will be determined after the complete extinguishment of the fire," Turegeldiyev said.
He also noted that the forest's characteristics complicate the situation. In Semey Ormany, a deep layer of forest litter – consisting of fallen needles, leaves, branches and bark – has formed, which promotes prolonged smoldering. Additionally, the region continues to experience high thunderstorm activity, posing a risk of further fire development.
The MES added that an investigation into the fire's causes, calculation of the area burned, and assessment of the damage will only be conducted after the fire is completely extinguished. Until then, specialists are focused on fighting the fire and preventing its further spread.