The director of the Kazhydromet Hydrometeorological Center, Marina Schmidt, has raised concerns about the potential recurrence of forest fires in the Abay region of Kazakhstan. She highlighted that May and June are expected to be highly fire-prone across the country. In the Abay region, temperatures are forecasted to exceed the norm at up to +27°C, with below-average precipitation levels.
Schmidt emphasized the significant likelihood of natural fires occurring in the region due to the expected weather conditions. Although July and August are projected to have temperatures around the norm, there is a risk of very high temperatures and prolonged dry spells, increasing the probability of fires.
The recent forest fire in the State Forest Natural Reserve "Semey Ormany" in the Abay region resulted in the tragic deaths of three foresters initially, with the death toll rising to 14 individuals by June 10. In response to this tragedy, Kazakhstan declared a National Day of Mourning on June 12, following an order signed by the President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The nation mourned the loss of lives due to the forest fire, highlighting the severity of the situation and the need for increased vigilance and preventative measures to combat forest fires in the region.
