ULAN BATOR, May 30 (Xinhua) -- A total of 100 forest and steppe fires have been recorded across Mongolia in the first five months of 2025, ravaging 632,352 hectares of land, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Friday.
The wildfires have caused total losses of 5 billion Mongolian tugriks (over 1.4 million U.S. dollars), according to the NEMA.
According to experts, most of the forest and steppe fires were caused by human negligence, careless handling of fire, and burning of grass in the spring.
In view of this, the NEMA has warned residents of Ulan Bator and 21 Mongolian provinces not to make bonfires or throw cigarette butts on the ground in dry weather.
The total number of forest and steppe fires across Mongolia at the end of 2024 reached 137, with most recorded in the eastern Mongolian provinces of Sukhbaatar, Khentii, and Dornod, according to data released by the agency. ■
