A forest fire in the state natural reserve 'Semey Ormany' has covered 370 hectares, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Erlan Nysanbaev reported. This area includes both forestland and clearings with glades, reports the website infohub.kz.
According to the minister, the spread of crown and ground fires has been halted. Rescuers are currently eliminating dangerous smoke hotspots. However, it is too early to speak of containment. A decision on declaring containment will be made after an aerial survey scheduled for 12:00.
The official cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Nysanbaev cited a lightning strike as a preliminary version. This year, up to 22 such strikes per day have been recorded in the area, leading to fires.
The minister added: if the fire can be contained today and fully extinguished by Saturday, the Ministry of Ecology will develop a project for sanitary logging and clearing of burnt forest. These works will take about a year, after which new trees will be planted.
The fire in block 57 of the Kamyshenskoye forestry of the Borodulikha branch of the reserve started on the morning of Thursday, July 16. By midday, the fire area was estimated at 60 hectares. Firefighting units from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Ecology, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health, National Security Committee, and the Akimat of Abai Region have been involved. Additional forces have been brought in from East Kazakhstan, Pavlodar regions, Astana, and the Ertis Ormany reserve.