An early fire detection system is planned to be introduced in the forests of Kokshetau and Pavlodar. It has proven its effectiveness in the state national park Burabay by decreasing the area of fires by 20 times, Daryo.uz correspondent reports.
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan allocated about $9.2mn for this project. It consists of towers with high-resolution cameras and motion sensors. The system has been used for 3 years in the state national park Burabay.
Within 3 years, we have reduced the number, damage and area of fires. Increased responsiveness. We compared the work without the system, when it was not, and when it appeared. In 2020, we burned more than 70 hectares. And already in 2021, 1.3 hectares. Previously, we searched for fires for 40 minutes, but now the program transmits a real-time picture and exact coordinates. It also allows you to see where the fire brigades are now,”
Asylkhan Akhmetzhanov, head of the operational control center of the Burabai State National Park, told the correspondent.
On guard of the forest, in absolutely all areas, forest rangers are on duty. They are paratroopers who, in the event of a fire, are the first to go to the fire. Due to the fact that Kazakhstan has now been assigned the highest fire hazard class, fighters go on a helicopter flight three times a day. They operate according to a simple algorithm.
“When a fire is detected from the air, we land to the source of the fire. Our main task is to first localize, and then completely eliminate the fire. Most fires are caused by people. Unextinguished cigarette butts, campfires, and even glass bottles are all fire hazards. Now there are a lot of vacationers, so I would like to appeal to citizens to take care of nature, ”said Vladimir Pavlov, a paratrooper firefighter.
By the way, they protect not only trees, but also animals, birds, and insects. Since the beginning of the year, foresters have already stopped 3 cases of poaching.
In Kazakhstan, the problem of fires is taken very seriously and significant funds are allocated. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, more than 1,000 forest and steppe fires, as well as 4,000 natural fires are registered annually in the republic. Since the beginning of the fire hazard period, more than 130 natural fires have already been registered, the fire area amounted to more than 20,000 hectares.
Talgat Satybaldy, Astana
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