ULAN BATOR, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 172 forest and steppe fires have been reported across Mongolia since the beginning of this year, burning at least 1,016,908 hectares of land, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Monday.
Nearly 80 percent of the fires were steppe fires, with most occurring in the eastern provinces of Dornod, Sukhbaatar and Khentii, the NEMA said. Human negligence was identified as the primary cause of the fires.
The wildfires have killed one person and injured two others, causing an estimated 7.9 billion Mongolian tugriks (about 2.2 million U.S. dollars) in property damage, the agency said.
Most recently, a steppe fire broke out on Oct. 8 in Khalkh Gol soum, an administrative subdivision in Dornod province. The fire was extinguished on Monday, the emergency agency said.
The agency urged the public to take precautions to prevent wildfires.
Mongolia has a harsh continental climate, with typically dry and windy conditions in spring and autumn that increase the risk of wildfires. ■