What is happening at the site of the steppe fire in the Karaganda region

Tengrinews.kz - On October 6, a wildfire started in the Karaganda region. It spread across an area of more than 35,000 hectares, and the situation was worsened by strong gusty winds. A few days later, on October 9, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the fire had been extinguished.

Tengrinews.kz photo correspondent Turar Kazangapov traveled to the Karkaraly district to see the aftermath of the fire.

The way to Karkaraly is about 400 kilometers. If you're traveling from Astana, it's almost a five-hour drive.

In some areas, the roads are in poor condition, so we had to slow down.

We approach Yegindybulak — 30 kilometers from this village, the steppe was burning.

On the road towards the village of Terekty, a rescue vehicle overtakes our car.

We arrive in Terekty. The fire from the steppe did not reach here. So, everything is quiet in the village.

But it's so quiet that it seems as if no one lives here.

Near the rural akimat, we meet a resident from the neighboring village of Shoptykol.

A man recounts that rescuer Khairat Khali died near their village.

"There is currently no electricity in Shoptykol. Maybe because of the fire. I came to Terekty to see the akim and find out when the electricity will be restored," said the man, who introduced himself as Kainar.

We continue on.

Helicopters are flying in the sky. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, five helicopters were involved in extinguishing the fire. A total of 62 water drops have been made, amounting to 112 tons.

We approach the territory of the Emergency Situations operational headquarters, set up a few kilometers from the village of Terekty.

On October 6, forces and resources were brought here to extinguish the steppe fire. This includes more than 600 people and about 90 units of equipment.

The Vice Minister for Emergency Situations, Erlan Nurpeisov, was present at the operational headquarters.

We were unable to enter the headquarters area.

We set off again, heading towards the village of Shoptykol.

The 45 kilometers from Terekty over rough terrain feel insanely long.

Surprisingly, the journey in a passenger car passed without any breakdowns or flat tires.

Just yesterday, it was dangerous to be here. We see roe deer in the steppe.

According to the Karaganda region akimat (local government administration), there were no recorded fatalities among locals or livestock during the fire.

Official reports state that local officials have begun visiting farms in the Karkaraly district to assess the impact of the steppe fire.

According to the Karaganda region akimat, around 300 tons of hay burned at one winter pasture. The authorities have promised to compensate farmers for their losses.

Preliminary data indicates that the fire in the Karkaraly district spread over an area of 35,000 hectares.

The fire initially broke out in the village of Koyandy. From there, it spread across the rest of the district and eventually reached the border of Bayanaul National Park in the Pavlodar region.

Despite strong gusty winds and the large area of the fire, rescuers prevented the fire from spreading to 7 settlements and 11 farms.

We arrive in the village of Shoptykol.

We meet the akim (governor) of the Sharykty rural district, which includes 4 settlements: the villages of Terekty, Ayyr, Kyzylshilik, and Shoptykol.

Zhaman Yerbulan is currently inspecting areas that may have been affected by the fire. It's still difficult to assess the extent of the damage, says the akim. But the most important thing is that the local people are safe and healthy, and no livestock was harmed.

The akim points toward the steppe, where horses are peacefully grazing.

The rural akim also spoke about the death of 33-year-old rescuer Khairat Khali.

"I was here; we were evacuating residents. Three rescuers headed towards the fire source, which was several kilometers from the village. They got into their vehicle and drove off. According to the survivors, the car allegedly broke down out in the steppe. Two of them managed to get to the village, but the third one remained there... He probably couldn’t get out because of the smoke or the fire. The deceased was apparently driving the car. I later took the two survivors to Terekty, where an ambulance was waiting," said akim Zhaman Yerbulan.

This is most likely the spot where firefighter Khairat Khali’s life tragically ended.

As the local akim explained, the firefighters had arrived in Shoptykol from Yegindybulak.

Disposable gloves are scattered at the site of the tragedy.

Local men on motorcycles recall that on October 6, they saw two firefighters.

"We gave them a ride on our motorcycles to Shoptykol. There were two of them. They appeared from the direction where the steppe was already burning. They asked for a ride to the road. I already had someone with me on the motorcycle, but I took one of the firefighters with me. We asked, 'Where’s your car?' and they said it had apparently burned. They were young guys. It was clear that one of their uniforms had been burned."

According to official data, five firefighters were injured as a result of the fire in the Karkaraly district. The condition of four patients was assessed as stable. Another injured person was admitted to intensive care in serious condition (with burns covering 35 percent of their body).

Thanks to the efforts of the rescuers, the fire was successfully stopped.

The exact area affected by the fire and the causes are still being clarified.

According to the Emergency Situations Department of the Karaganda region, an investigation has been launched into the steppe fire under Article 292, Part 2 of the Criminal Code ("Violation of fire safety requirements resulting in death or other serious consequences due to negligence").

Locals say that the winter might be difficult for farmers and livestock because of the fire. The fire destroyed vegetation in the steppe, which means that horses might be left without feed.

Photo by Turar Kazangapov