ULAN BATOR, Jul 18 (NNN-APA) – A total of 90 forest and steppe fires have been reported across Mongolia, since the beginning of this year, devastating 685,521 hectares of forest and grassland, the country’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said yesterday.
The figure for fires marks an increase of 19.3 percent from the same period last year, NEMA said in a statement.
Currently, there is a high risk of wildfire, due to severe dryness in Uvs and Zavkhan provinces, in the west, Khuvsgul, Selenge and Bulgan in the north, and Arkhangai in the central region, the agency said.
The agency urged the public to be vigilant, during countryside trips, and to prevent the danger of fire during the ongoing peak season of summer travel and vacation.– NNN-APA
