On 6 October, near the village of Koyandy in the Karkaraly district of the Karaganda region, dry grass caught fire, leading to a major steppe fire.
The fire spread quickly and soon jumped to the territory of the Bayanauyl State National Nature Park in the Pavlodar region.
During firefighting operations in the Karkaraly district, 33-year-old senior firefighter-rescuer Khali Khairat died. The sergeant had been working in civil protection since 2014.
It is reported that a pre-trial investigation has been launched into his death. The Ministry of Emergency Situations intends to provide comprehensive assistance and support to the family of the deceased.
Four other people – two firefighters, a local resident, and a volunteer fire brigade member – sustained burns while fighting the fire. They have been hospitalised.
According to reports from the media, citing the Karaganda region health department, the condition of the injured is assessed as stable.
According to preliminary data, the fire area was more than 3,000 hectares. However, later the akim of the Pavlodar region, Asain Baikhanov, published a post on Instagram stating that the fire area had increased to 6,000 hectares.
It is noted that the situation is complicated by gusty winds of up to 12-15 m/s and tall grass. According to the akim, 310 people, 51 units of specialised equipment, two helicopters, and three unmanned aerial vehicles are working at the fire site.
During the fire, 18 residents of the village of Zheltau were evacuated. As of today, the fire has been contained, and efforts to extinguish it are continuing. It is noted that there are no fatalities or injuries in the Pavlodar region.
Baikhanov identified faulty spark arresters on agricultural machinery used during haymaking as one of the main causes of such fires.
In this regard, the head of the region appealed to farms to conduct a preventive inspection of the equipment in use, as well as to timely plough firebreaks around farms and houses, especially in places where hay is stored.