Wildfires contained in northern Kazakhstan, central region battles on
Firefighters in Kazakhstan have successfully contained a wildfire that spread from the Karagandy Region to the Bayanaul National Park in the Pavlodar Region. The Minister of Emergency Situations, Chingis Arinov, announced the news during a government meeting on Oct. 8.
The blaze, which started in the Karkaraly district, had scorched approximately 35,000 hectares of land in the Karagandy Region by 6 p.m. on Oct. 7. However, due to strong winds, mountainous terrain, and difficult access to the fire sites, the firefighting efforts were challenging. The fire has now spread to the border area between the Karagandy and Pavlodar Regions, covering nearly 45,000 hectares.
Forestry services, emergency personnel, and voluntary firefighting units were deployed to combat the fire. Tragically, two emergency responders and one volunteer sustained burn injuries during the operation, and senior firefighter-rescuer Khali Khairat lost his life while on duty. To ensure the safety of residents, authorities ordered the early evacuation of the village of Zheltau, with 18 residents, including eight children, being relocated.
In a separate incident, a fire outbreak in Russia near the Zhitikara district of the Kostanai Region crossed the border into Kazakhstan. Despite facing challenging conditions, including high winds, firefighters managed to contain the blaze to a 1,400-square-meter area, with no reported injuries.
Efforts to extinguish the fire in the Karagandy Region are ongoing and are expected to be completed today. The authorities are working tirelessly to ensure the safety of residents and protect the natural beauty of the affected areas.
