Azerbaijani officials blame public, not heat, for forest fires
Azerbaijani officials say the public is to blame for the four forest fires that have broken out in the country in the past five days – not the heat.
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The largest fire occurred in Hirkan National Park, in southern Azerbaijan. One and a half hectares of dry grass, shrubs and wood were burned. The fire began on the outskirts of the settled area and was extinguished from both the ground and the air using two helicopters and an airtanker. Locals helped firefighters put out the flames.
Fire in Hirkan National Park (www.fhn.gov.az)
Fires also broke out in Shabran and Quba in the north, as well as in the Goygol District in the west.
The forest fire that started on August 22 in Agsu, in central Azerbaijan, is still raging.
Who’s responsible and what’s next?
This August in Azerbaijan turned out to be very hot.
But the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources blames the forest fires not only on the heat, but also on local residents’ negligence and careless attitudes towards fire safety.
The ministry promises that new trees will be planted in all the burned areas in the fall.
