Main Cause of Fires in Armenia Identified by MoES

This year, a record increase in the number of fires has been recorded in Armenia. The majority of these are attributed to human factors. This was reported today to journalists by Sergey Hayrapetyan, Deputy Head of the Fire and Technical Safety Inspectorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MoES).

It is noteworthy that yesterday, the MoES issued a statement warning the population of a high risk of fires in valleys and foothill areas over the next five days.

"In the first six months of 2019, there were 2.1 times more fires than in the same period last year. Regarding fires in grasslands, in the first half of this year, there were four times more fires recorded compared to the same period in 2018," Hayrapetyan reported, adding that in July alone, over 1,200 fires were recorded in the country. In 75% of those cases, grasslands were burned. The increase in the number of fires during the summer has been particularly aided by the high-temperature background. However, the fires are primarily attributed to human factors.

The main cause of these fires is often the smoldering remains of cigarettes. Glass bottles left on the grass can also ignite fires, as they absorb sunlight and can heat the grass enough to catch fire. Additionally, waste left after picnics contributes to fire spread.

According to the MoES official, most fires could have been avoided if the relevant authorities had ensured that grass was mowed in time and areas were irrigated. In places where these measures were implemented on time, there were either no fires or they were of local significance.

Concerning fires in border villages, Hayrapetyan noted that due to the complex landscape and lack of sufficient equipment, extinguishing fires has become more challenging. He mentioned that in recent years, there have been numerous cases where fires have broken out due to gunfire from the Azerbaijani side or as a result of them burning the area.