In the Almaty region, reeds caught fire, and then the flames spread to the forest. Law enforcement authorities have opened a criminal case regarding this incident.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the fire occurred in the Balkhash district on 19 April. The fire engulfed 31 hectares of forest.
"In connection with this incident, internal affairs bodies have initiated a criminal case under Article 341 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 'Destruction of or damage to forests.' The sanction of this article provides for imprisonment of up to eight years with confiscation of property," the Ministry of Emergency Situations stated.
It was reported that 129 water drops were carried out from a helicopter to extinguish the fire, with a total volume of more than 387 tonnes. The fire has now been contained.
For context, following an inspection by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, it became known that the Pavlodar, Akmola, and Kostanay regions, as well as the "Semey Ormany" reserve, were unprepared for potential fires.
It was later reported that an early fire warning system worth 4.1 billion tenge would not be installed in "Semey Ormany".
Incidentally, in June last year, a major fire occurred in the forests of the Abai region, resulting in the deaths of 14 employees of the "Semey Ormany" forest nature reserve.