Steppe fire spreads into Bayanaul National Park in Pavlodar Region

September 15, 2026 at 03:21 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A wildfire that began in the Bukhar-Zhyrau district of Karaganda Region has spread into Bayanaul State National Nature Park in Pavlodar Region. More than 80 firefighters and two helicopters are working to contain the blaze, which has already burned through three forest blocks. Strong winds of up to 15 meters per second and extremely high fire danger are complicating the effort.

Key Facts

The fire started in the Bukhar-Zhyrau district of Karaganda Region and spread into Bayanaul National Park in Pavlodar Region.
More than 80 people are involved in fighting the fire, including professional rescuers, forest guards, and local volunteers from the village of Bayanaul.
Two helicopters, including a Mi-8 with a water-dropping device, are being used to combat the blaze.
The fire has burned through three forest blocks and is being driven by westerly winds of 9-11 meters per second with gusts up to 15 meters per second.
The fire danger class in the area is V, the highest level.

Fire Spread

The fire began around 9 p.m. on September 14 in the Bukhar-Zhyrau district of Karaganda Region. Strong winds quickly pushed the flames into the mountainous terrain of Bayanaul National Park in Pavlodar Region. By nightfall, the fire had engulfed three forest blocks. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan reported westerly winds of 9-11 meters per second with gusts up to 15 meters per second. The fire danger class in the area is V, the highest level.

Containment Effort

More than 80 people are involved in fighting the fire, including professional rescuers, forest guards, and local volunteers from the village of Bayanaul. The Ministry of Ecology reported that 71 personnel and 31 pieces of equipment were deployed, along with a Mi-8 helicopter from Kazavialesookhrana equipped with a water-dropping device. A second aircraft has been sent to assist, and helicopters are dropping water while ground crews create firebreaks around the perimeter. The effort is complicated by gusty winds, difficult mountainous terrain, and scattered fire hotspots. Work to localize the fire and prevent further spread is ongoing.