Fire and rage in Russia
Azerbaijan Introduces Total Ban on Forest Visits
14 August 2010
published by today.az
Azerbaijan — The ban is due to the increased fire hazard and applies to everyone except employees of national parks and businesses specialized in protecting and restoring forests, stated the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. In order to enforce the ban, watch posts have been set up at entrances to forests and duty has been organized around the clock. The ban will be in force until the complete elimination of the fire hazard.
This summer cases of forest fires took place in Ismayilli, Lerik, Yalama, Goygol, Shaki and other regions of the country. The most widespread fire, which was observed in the Ismayilli region, threatened to spread over into the forest, also consuming the forests of the Gabala and Oguz regions. In this case, Azerbaijan would risk losing up to 50% of its forest estate, which is already small due to climatic reasons.
