ULAN BATOR, March 31 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14 forest and steppe fires have been reported across Mongolia in the first quarter of this year, burning 21,175 hectares of land, the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Tuesday.
Most of the wildfires occurred in the eastern provinces of Dornod, Sukhbaatar and Khentii, the NEMA said, adding that human negligence was the primary cause of the fires.
Mongolia has a harsh continental climate, with typically dry and windy conditions during the spring season, which further increases the likelihood of wildfires. ■
