Heat wave causes numerous wild fires in central Mongolia

Wild fires have raged across central Mongolia due to the ongoing hot, dry weather, fire officials said Tuesday.

The fires have killed three people and injured six others, officials said. The fires also have destroyed 936 livestock and caused about 910 million Tugrig (about 0.67 million U.S. dollars) in damages, officials said.

The fires occurred in Selenge and Tov provinces, said Zaluukhuu, head of the fire department of the general emergency management authority.

An extreme heat wave has baked many areas of Mongolia in recent weeks with the temperature reaching 41 degrees Celsius in some locations.

There have been 73 wild fires in the first six months of this year in 40 counties in 12 provinces. On July 26-27, 11 wild fires were reported and four on July 4.

Authorities have barred people from traveling to areas with extreme dry conditions and have asked for all-round support in helping firefighters battle the blazes. Forty-two counties in 12 provinces remain under extreme dry conditions, the emergency authority said.

About 984 firefighters, 164 border guards and 2,022 local residents have been mobilized to stop the fires.

Source: Xinhua