Prosecutor General Berik Assylov reported on the criminal investigation into the fire in Abai region. An investigative team including skilled law enforcement and special bodies personnel led by the Deputy Prosecutor General. Upon completion, a legal assessment of the actions and inaction of officials will be given.

The Head of State was also informed about the results of investigations into high-profile criminal cases and the work to protect public interests. As a result of inspections in the social and economic sphere, 11 thousand persons have been brought to justice. KZT10bn has been returned to the budget after investigative activities. The state’s interests to the tune of KZT15.2bn were defended in courts.

Tokayev was also reported on the implementation of his tasks on the protection of businesses and support of significant investment projects.

In addition, the Head of State was informed about the crime situations and measures taken to enforce the constitutional rights of citizens in the criminal law sphere.

Following the meeting, the President pointed to the importance of impartial investigation of the cause of the fire in Abai region, as well as gave concrete tasks to ensure law in all spheres of social and economic life of the country.

Source: inform.kz

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The fire initially spread rapidly to a large area of 60,000 hectares, claiming the lives of 14 forest workers. The government and citizens of Kazakhstan have provided various support and assistance to the families and relatives of the victims.

In a June 13 interview with Kazinform, Vasiliy Labanchuk, head of the department of forestry and specially protected natural areas in the North Kazakhstan Region, spoke about the work of forest officers, listing protection, reforestation and forest management as their primary duties.

According to Labanchuk, each forest ranger is assigned to patrol a large area ranging from 1,500-2,000 to 20,000 hectares of forest. The wildfire that broke out in the Abai Region showed that no matter how much preventive work is carried out, the forest ranger physically cannot simultaneously cover the entire territory entrusted to him.

“While he is in one location, someone can throw garbage or light a fire in another place. Therefore, each person should carry their own responsibility and not harm the forest,” Labanchuk noted.

The preparation of equipment for the fire-hazardous season begins in March. Forest officers set grass on fire in advance until the snow cover completely disappears to prevent the grass from burning with the onset of heat.

In summer, the forest ranger, who lives at the location of the forest, checks the territory for smoke and reports to a dispatcher if he notices it. As soon as the duty officer receives information about the fire, he sends equipment to the site, including tractors, machines equipped with motor pumps, high pressure pumps and backpack sprayers.

The forest ranger assesses the situation and decides if additional help is needed. If necessary, a tractor with a specialized plow is used to make a 70-centimeter wide furrow and spread the soil around the edges to stop a fire.

“Patrol cars also have minimal fire extinguishing equipment: crackers, backpack sprayers and 50-100 liters of water. Emergency services are called in as a last resort,” said Labanchuk.

He assured that the territory of the forest has adequate equipment, with drones and towers used in all sectors with video surveillance cameras. The region has 580 forest guard workers, including 354 forest rangers. All forest guards are provided with 796 radio stations.

Deforestation is another complex task that requires huge work. The forest officer selects areas for felling using taxation descriptions from the forest management project. Once the area is determined, the lines outlining the territory of the cutting area from another forest are cut. After that, the foresters count each tree. Everything is controlled using satellites.

Forest officers also carry out enormous work on reforestation. More than seven million seedlings have been planted since the beginning of this year. Any person can track each landing through the interactive map OrmanKZ.

The area covered by the forest in the North Kazakhstan Region reaches 550,000 hectares, varying from 0.4 to 17%, with 12 forestries serving the site.

Despite the huge amount of work and high responsibility, the monthly salary of foresters ranges from 85,000 tenge ($189.34) to 160,000 tenge ($356.40).

“We are waiting for a rise in salaries. We believe that it is necessary to change the norms, as planting volumes increase,” said Labanchuk.

Source: The Astana News

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The fires initially broke out in the Batpayev forestry in the Abai Region on June 8, burning through an area of 2,000 hectares.

During a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on June 14, Prosecutor General Berik Asylov informed that a criminal investigation has been opened regarding the fire outbreak in the Abai Region. According to Asylov, an interdepartmental investigative-operational group of experienced law enforcement and special agency professionals has been formed under the supervision of the Deputy Prosecutor General.

Kazakh Minister of Internal Affairs Marat Akhmetzhanov said law enforcement agencies are considering three versions of how the forest fires began.

“An investigation is underway. Prosecutors are considering arson, negligence or a lightning strike. Expert examinations and search operations will be carried out. The investigation will take two months,” said Akhmetzhanov on June 13.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, approximately 6,000 tons of water was discharged 2,100 times. The firefighting efforts involved 1,900 people and 360 equipment units.

Since the fire outbreak, Kazakh entrepreneurs and citizens have provided various assistance for the uninterrupted work of the specialists who extinguished the fire, as well as for the families of the victims and evacuated residents.

Source: The Astana Times

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“We achieved a tangible result thanks to the heroic efforts of all those involved in extinguishing and eliminating the wildfire,” said Urankhayev.

As of June 13, there are only smoldering fires with no open flame, First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar said, adding that once the fire is extinguished, sanitary deforestation and new tree planting will be carried out.

According to the latest data published by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources on June 13, the total area of the fire in the Abai Region reached 60,000 hectares at its peak. 

Minister of Emergency Situations Syrym Sharipkhanov informed that the fires have “no threat to settlements,” as he observed the affected areas on a helicopter.

The Ministry of Defense said that 600 soldiers, 50 equipment units, and seven helicopters have been mobilized near the settlements of Shulbinsk, Talitsa, Ozerki, Zhernovka, and Baryshevka. Three unmanned aerial vehicles are used to monitor the situation from the air.

The firefighting efforts involve 1,900 people and 360 equipment units, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Approximately 4,486 tons of water was discharged 1,526 times.

Extinguishing the fire has been complicated by high temperatures ranging from 27 to 32 degrees Celsius and strong winds. 

However, rain, thunderstorms, and a temperature drop in the region engulfed in the fire is predicted. The Abai News local telegram channel reported that it has already started to rain today.

Countries worldwide offer their support

World leaders and representatives of international organizations have sent letters of condolences to President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following the day of national mourning on June 12 to honor 14 people killed by the forest fires.

Tokayev held telephone conversations with Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who expressed their readiness to assist in the elimination of the fires, Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov informed.

“So far, we are not asking for assistance and handling it ourselves. However, as far as I heard, these countries are ready to help,” Smadiyarov said.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon and  Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdymukhamedov conveyed sincere words of support to the families and relatives of the fire victims and wished a speedy recovery to all the injured.

Kazakh citizens and businesses provide humanitarian assistance

Since the fire outbreak, Kazakh entrepreneurs and citizens have been providing all possible assistance round-the-clock for the uninterrupted work of specialists involved in extinguishing the fire and eliminating its consequences.

Volunteers have been collecting funds, purchasing and delivering food and necessary items, and preparing hot meals for the firefighters and the people in evacuation points, who were forced to leave their property and needed support.

Several entrepreneurs in the Abai Region have collected 17 million tenge ($37,867) to help the victims. They plan to continue providing the necessary assistance to restore housing and social conditions.

People countrywide have extended their support and sympathy as much as they can. Artists Pavel Cas and Diana Scar installed a memorial in the city of Almaty, using 14 bricks to make a wall symbolizing protection from fire. The silhouettes of people were drawn with fire.

“Many people came to express solidarity and sympathy. The fire continues, and now it is essential to support volunteer organizations that are assisting those who have suffered,” Cas wrote on his Instagram page.

Source: The Astana Times

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According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 14 people died in the fire that broke out in the Batpayev forestry in the Abai Region on June 8. The area engulfed in flames quickly spread from the initial 2,000 hectares to 60,000 hectares. 

As of June 12, efforts to put out the fire are ongoing, involving 14 helicopters, approximately 1,500 people, and more than 300 equipment units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, local executive bodies, and the Ministry of Defense.

Since the fire outbreak, over 2,000 tons of water has been discharged 777 times.

People in nearby settlements have been evacuated to the village of Borodulikha and the city of Semei.

The President canceled his visit to Vietnam and arrived in the Abai Region for an emergency meeting on June 11, flying over the territories affected by the fire.

He met with families and relatives of the forestry workers that died as a result of the fire to express his condolences and pledge comprehensive support.

“The General Prosecutor’s Office will investigate this tragedy. Those responsible will be held accountable,” he promised.

Following a minute of silence at the emergency meeting, the President criticized the state bodies who were responsible for the situation that was “professionally neglected.”

“Even though the required instructions were provided, last year’s lessons were not learned [referring to the massive forest fires in Amankaragai district in northern Kazakhstan in September.] It is clear that the threat was underestimated. The forecast was inaccurate,” he said.

The President dismissed Yuriy Ilyin as the Minister of Emergency Situations, appointing Syrym Sharipkhanov as the new minister, and reprimanded the region’s akim (governor) Nurlan Urankhayev for failing to promptly respond to the disaster.

Tokayev instructed the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and other state bodies to take measures to implement a digital system for the early detection of fires.

“Wildfires are raging worldwide, and we have to be able to fight them, especially when it comes to forests,” the President noted, adding that there are no more than 4% of forest plantations in the country.

Referring to last year’s forest fires in the Kostanai Region, Tokayev stressed the “low degree of preparedness,” assigning the government to bring it to the level of effective emergency response.

“The summer period has just begun, and a similar threat may arise again,” he warned.

The President posthumously awarded 14 forest workers for their courage and dedication while performing their duties.

Source: The Astana Times

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Additional rescuers from the city of Almaty and Almaty, Karagandy and Zhetysu regions were sent to fight the fire. At the time of writing, the area covered by fires hit 60,000 hectares, according to the ministry.

A fire broke out on June 8, burning forest trees in an initial area of 2,000 hectares. A helicopter was immediately brought in to extinguish the fire, and rescuers from three regions were sent to help with the effort, but the fire was spreading quickly. 

“At the moment, the situation at the fire site has stabilized. Since the morning [of June 10], eight helicopters and personnel of the involved services started to extinguish the fire. Additional forces of the Ministry of Defense are also involved. Fire extinguishing is complicated by high temperatures, large burning area and wind gusts, in some places, up to 10 meters per second,” said Derbisov.

As of June 10, fire extinguishing continues at seven sites in the region, according to the ministry. More than 1,000 people, 11 helicopters, 237 units of equipment of the ministry, local executive bodies and the Ministry of Defense are involved in the effort. An aerial survey of the firefront is being carried out. 

Since 6 a.m. on June 10, at least 164 water discharges with a volume of 410 tons were made to extinguish the fire. 

Derbisov said three forestry workers, who were killed in the fires, have not yet been identified.

In response to the escalating disaster, the Kazakh government has swiftly implemented measures to combat the fire, while President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who canceled his visit to Vietnam because of the fires, dismissed Yuriy Ilyin as the Minister of Emergency Situations and appointed Syrym Sharipkhanov as the new minister to oversee the firefighting and emergency response efforts.

Sharipkhanov previously served as the Head of the Malik Gabdullin Academy of Civil Protection of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Tokayev is expected to visit the Abai Region to hold an emergency meeting and take measures to assist citizens affected by the disaster.

On June 10, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov convened an emergency meeting with top government officials to discuss the situation and formulate a comprehensive response. The Prime Minister stressed that all technical and human resources had been mobilized to fight the fire and ensure the safety of citizens. 

Smailov demanded to provide prompt arrival of additional equipment and employees of relevant services. He also instructed the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to consider social assistance to families affected by fires, the Ministry of Health to keep under control the timely provision of medical care to citizens if necessary, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure public order and safety of the property.

“As of today, the situation is under control. (…) There were three fires. In two areas, the fire was actually minimized. On the western outskirts in Kashtaksky forestry, fire is actively burning. On the territory of Kamyshensky forestry, the fire is almost localized. In Uspensky forestry, the work to stop the fire is in progress. Today there is no fire hazard to the settlements. The people are returning to their homes, and the threat has been completely eliminated. The forces and means of the Emergency Situations Ministry of Astana, Karagandy, Semei, and East Kazakhstan Region, as well as the forces and means of the Ministry of Defense, including 200 personnel, are involved,” said Deputy Akim (mayor) of the Abai Region Dimitriy Garikov.

According to the country’s Kazgidromet weather forecast service, rain, thunderstorms, dust storms and squalls are expected in most areas of the region, with air temperature ranging between 24 and 29 degrees Celcius, hitting 34 degrees in the south of the region. 

Source: The Astana Times

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