ULAN BATOR, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- A large-scale steppe fire has erupted in a strictly protected nature reserve in eastern Mongolia, threatening to spread toward the China-Mongolia border and posing cross-border ecological risks.
Initial investigations suggest the fire was triggered by a convoy run by Mobicom, a Mongolian telecommunications company with Japanese investment.
UNEXPECTED WILDFIRE
The first alarm was raised at 11:55 a.m. local time (0355 GMT) on Oct. 8, after the fire broke out in the core zone of the country's Numrug Strictly Protected Area, where unauthorized entry is prohibited, particularly during the autumn fire-risk season.
Although the open flames were extinguished on Friday, dry weather and strong winds continue to raise risks of reignition.
Mongolia activated a cross-provincial emergency response, deploying 606 rescuers and 100 sets of equipment from 60 firefighting teams across three provinces.
As flames approached the China-Mongolia border, China mobilized more than 3,400 firefighters and ground personnel along the Inner Mongolia section of the border for 24-hour patrols to prevent the fire from spreading into the Chinese territory. Both sides continue to monitor the situation amid dry weather and strong winds.
Numrug hosts one of eastern Mongolia's best-preserved original ecosystems, home to reindeer, brown bears, wild boars and other rare wildlife. The fire inflicted irreversible harm on grasslands and animal habitats, while a detailed assessment is pending to determine the full extent of ecological and biodiversity losses.
WHO IS TO BLAME?
According to local media reports, a 13-member convoy of five vehicles from Mobicom, including senior Japanese executives, drove into the restricted core area. Dry grass became lodged beneath one vehicle and caught fire, while strong winds quickly spread the flames across the grassland, making the fire difficult to contain.
After the blaze, Mobicom claimed the trip was an official survey for telecom infrastructure construction, describing the fire as an operational accident.
Mongolian government officials and local media have questioned the explanation, pointing out that the proposed fibre-optic project lacked technical and economic justification.
Local media reports have alleged that the convoy may have entered the area for unauthorized hunting and fishing involving critically endangered species.
The case has been referred to police for investigation, and no official conclusions have yet been released.
PUBLIC OUTCRY
The incident has sparked widespread public anger in Mongolia, with questions raised over whether the convoy had obtained the necessary permits to enter the ecologically sensitive reserve during the fire-prone season.
Temuulen Ganzorig, Mongolia's minister of justice and internal affairs, said those involved, along with personnel from relevant border-port administrations, would be held accountable and ordered to compensate for the losses.
Mongolia's criminal law prohibits unauthorized hunting or capturing animals in specially protected areas, while causing a forest or steppe fire may also carry criminal penalties.
Mongolia is facing increasing risks of grassland fire amid climate change. Official data show average temperatures in the country have climbed 2.5 degrees Celsius since 1941, far exceeding the global average, while 81.9 percent of the country's land is affected by desertification and land degradation. Nearly 80 percent of Mongolian steppe fires are attributed to human activities.
Fan Lijun, a researcher at the Inner Mongolia Academy of Social Sciences, noted the fire went beyond a simple accident.
The incident reflects severe lapses in corporate social responsibility for foreign-invested enterprises operating overseas, Fan said, adding that some foreign-backed firms take advantage of business connections to circumvent local environmental laws and fire-prevention bans, displaying a sense of privilege and disregard for the host country's rules.
Mongolia has thanked China for its rapid emergency response and praised Chinese company employees in Mongolia who volunteered to assist with firefighting efforts. ■
