ASTANA—Kazakh firefighters have localized a wildfire in the Pavlodar Region that spread to the Bayanaul National Park from the Karkaraly district in the Karagandy Region on Oct. 6, Minister of Emergency Situations Chingis Arinov said at an Oct. 8 government meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Eighteen residents of the Zheltau village were evacuated. Photo credit: Ministry of Emergency Situations. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
As of 6 p.m. on Oct. 7, a grass fire had scorched around 35,000 hectares in the Karagandy Region. Strong winds, mountainous terrain, and difficult access to the fire sites complicated the firefighting efforts. The fire in the border area between the Karagandy and Pavlodar Regions now spans nearly 45,000 hectares.
As of 6 p.m. on Oct. 7, a grass fire had scorched around 35,000 hectares in the Karagandy Region. Photo credit: Ministry of Emergency Situations. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
Forestry services, emergency personnel, and voluntary firefighting units were dispatched to combat the blaze. The hazardous conditions resulted in two emergency responders and one volunteer suffering burn injuries during the operation. Senior firefighter-rescuer Khali Khairat died while on duty.
The officials ordered an early evacuation for the village of Zheltau, where 18 residents, including eight children, were relocated.
Meanwhile, a separate fire outbreak in Russia near the Zhitikara district of the Kostanai Region crossed the border into Kazakhstan. Despite difficult conditions, including high winds, the blaze was contained on a 1,400-square-meter area with no reported injuries.
Efforts to extinguish the fire in the Karagandy Region are expected to conclude today.
