Forest Fires in Northern Kazakhstan: Three Akims Punished for Insufficient Measures

An environmental prosecutor's office has identified violations committed by local authorities and forestry enterprises. 

The region's fire stations are poorly staffed: there is no necessary equipment, no equipment, and not even a room for firefighters. Automatic early fire detection systems have not been installed, and proposals to purchase specialized aviation for extinguishing fires have been ignored.

Helipads in hard-to-reach places have also not been equipped.

Other violations were also identified in the condition of fire hydrants and reservoirs for water intake, in the arrangement of protective mineralized strips. In addition, weak explanatory work is being carried out with the population regarding evacuation and the creation of voluntary firefighting units, the prosecutors explain.

To protect forests, following a prosecutor's inspection, 296.6 million tenge were allocated from the regional budget for the purchase of equipment and 45 million tenge for the purchase of early fire detection services.

12 officials, including district Akims, were subject to disciplinary action.

A criminal case was previously opened after a large-scale fire in the Karaganda region.

The Minister of Ecology Nysanbayev also recently reported that record amounts were allocated for fire-fighting equipment to protect forests.

Original Author: Alexandra Mokhireva