Massive fire in Dornod Province extinguished
Massive fire in Dornod Province extinguished
09 October 2013
published by http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn
Mongolia — Due to strong winds and recent dry weather conditions, the risk of forest steppe fires has been high. Last weekend, a forest steppe fire broke out in Khulunbuir soum of Dornod Province, covering many hectares in three soums of two different provinces.
As the direction of the 12 to 14 meters per second winds frequently changed, the fire spread very quickly and efforts to extinguish it were challenged. Dornod Province contacted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) seeking solutions and the Deputy Minister of Mongolia and Chief of State Special Commission, D.Terbishdagva gathered the NEMA managing board to issue swift orders. Twenty emergency management rescuers from a firefighting division were sent to fires focus by MI 171E helicopter. As a result of urgent measures taken by 368 rescuers with 37 vehicles, in a short time, a fire which was very close to reaching neighboring Matad soum, was fully extinguished and prevented massive damage to both residents and the environment.
NEMA is warning citizens to be careful when traveling during such a fire-prone time of year, ensuring fire safety wherever they go. Building open fires and traveling in places with a large amount of grass are unadvisable.
When wind speed is between 12 and 14 meters per second, steppe fires can cover 720 meters of land in one minute.
