Abay Region Fire: Trees Burned Sold for 720 Million KZT

The Semey Ormany Reserve, where the largest forest fire in Kazakhstan's history occurred a year and a half ago, is selling its burnt trees. Orda.kz has looked into the matter.

Timber is counted not by pieces but by cubic meters. The amounts are considerable.

On the site, we counted about 170 lots worth from 24 million to 216 million tenge. The price of all the lots is billions of tenge.

Six lots for 720 million tenge have already been sold; however, this is not much, considering the vast territory.

The assessment report specifies that the most expensive tree on this list is a typical pine tree – 11 thousand tenge per cubic meter. 

A birch costs 1900 tenge per cubic meter, and aspen – 1600 tenge.

In total, the reserve employees have already prepared 75 thousand cubic meters of wood for sale, and some timber is already ready for further use. 

Judging by the photographs and descriptions, these are the forest areas that burned in the summer of 2023. 

The fire claimed the lives of 14 people, marking a dark page in modern Kazakhstan's history. 

The Semey Ormany Reserve was created by a government decree on January 22, 2003, for the purpose of preserving and restoring the unique ribbon pine forests of the Irtysh region, which perform important protective functions and have special ecological, scientific, cultural and recreational value, by merging the Begenevsky, Borodulikha, Bukebaevsky, Dolonsky, Zhanasemeysky, Zharminsky, Kanonersky, Morozovsky, Novoshulbinsky and Semipalatinsk state institutions for the protection of forests and wildlife. This was a response to a fire in 2003, which destroyed 106 hectares of forest,
the assessment report says. 

However, the area of forest burned in 2023 was about 60,000 hectares, and the damage from this fire was estimated at 163 billion tenge.

Photographs show that the trees did not burn completely.

Requirements

The draft timber purchase agreement states that the reserve must cut down the trees, and the buyer is responsible for their transportation.

Under this agreement, the seller sells standing timber based on the results of forest sales (auctions) for the purpose of eliminating the consequences of natural emergencies – forest fires on the territory of the state forest fund 'Semey Ormany' through sanitary measures (clear sanitary felling of the forest), and the buyer purchases timber in the 'Free Enterprise' order by completely harvesting it according to the technological map with subsequent removal from the felling area, the draft agreement states.

Trees damaged by forest fires can be used in various areas, minimizing environmental and economic losses. 

The main uses:

• Wood panel production: Charred trees are recyclable and can be used to make plywood, chipboard, MDF, and OSB.
• Building materials: Partially damaged logs can be recycled into lumber, such as beams, planks, and slats.
• Fuel pellets: Charred wood is often used to produce pellets or briquettes for heating.
• Charcoal: Wood that has survived a fire is suitable for producing charcoal used in industry and everyday life.
• Designer furniture: the texture of burnt wood becomes unique and is valued in the interior as a decorative element.
• Handicrafts: Wood carvings and souvenirs made from charred wood can become a popular product.
• Creating shelters for animals: Fallen trees can be left in place as shelters for animals and insects. 
• Scientific research: Charred wood can be used to study the impact of fires on the ecosystem.
• Educational projects: The material can be shown as an example for teaching forest restoration methods.

Fire 2023

The fire in the Semey Ormany reserve in the Abay region became a significant environmental disaster in Kazakhstan.

Causes 

High air temperature and strong wind were the leading causes of the fire. Preliminary data indicated that human factors, including careless handling of fire, could also have contributed.

Consequences

Human: 14 employees of Semey Ormany and one civilian died while extinguishing the fire. 

Ecological: The loss of forests has negatively impacted the region's biodiversity. Damage has been done to ecosystems that take decades to recover.

Social: The population of nearby settlements was evacuated due to the threat of fire spreading. Residents lost their homes and farms.

Economic: restoration of forests and ecological balance will require significant costs and at least 10-15 years. The damage was estimated at 163 billion tenge.

Authorities' Reaction

Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, and volunteers were brought in.

Aviation and specialized equipment were used. However, difficult weather conditions and the vast fire areas complicated the situation, and it took several weeks to extinguish the fire.

The President of Kazakhstan, Qasym-Jomart Toqayev, flew to the Abay region and personally coordinated the work of emergency services.

He dismissed the Minister of Emergency Situations, Yuri Ilyin, and severely reprimanded the Minister of Ecology, Zulfiya Suleimenova, and the newly appointed Akim of the region, Nurlan Urankhayev.   

He also expressed condolences to the victims' families and instructed the government to provide all necessary resources for disaster relief. 

Discussions also began on revising the forest protection system and introducing modern monitoring technologies.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov